CAF Champions League Draw Complete - Pirates Learn Group Stage Opponents

Ralph Staniforth

Editor

Last updated: 2 hours ago

Share

Ralph Staniforth 2 hours ago

Share this article

Orlando Pirates are South Africa’s only team in the 2026/27 CAF Champions League group stage.
Pirates face RS Berkane, Simba SC and Colombe Sportive in Group C.
Group stage runs from 27 November 2026 to January 2027; top two advance.

Sundowns' Defence of the CAF Champions League was ended in the preliminary rounds (Getty Images).

The final draw for the 2026/27 CAF Champions League group stage has been completed in Cairo, with Orlando Pirates discovering their opponents for the next phase of the competition.
How Pirates Qualified
Sundowns Exit Leaves Pirates Carrying South Africa’s Hopes
Full CAF Champions League Group Stage Draw
When Do The CAF Champions League Group Stages Start?

How Pirates Qualified

The Buccaneers are South Africa’s only representatives in the competition following the shock elimination of defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who were knocked out by Angola’s Wiliete SC after a 1-1 draw in Pretoria saw them lose the tie on the away-goals rule.

Pirates, meanwhile, secured qualification in convincing fashion, defeating Namibian side African Stars 5-0 on aggregate to book their place among Africa’s top clubs. A 1-0 away win was followed by a 4-0 home victory.

Sundowns Exit Leaves Pirates Carrying South Africa’s Hopes

Sundowns’ early elimination is a major setback for South African football, particularly after the Brazilians lifted the continental title last season. Their failure to reach the group stage brings their title defence to a premature end.

With Sundowns out, Orlando Pirates will carry the country’s hopes in the competition. The Buccaneers face a challenging group featuring Moroccan side RS Berkane, Tanzanian outfit Simba SC and Cameroon’s Colombe Sportive.

The clash against Simba will also reunite Pirates with former Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker, who now leads the Tanzanian club.

Full CAF Champions League Group Stage Draw

The completed draw has placed the 16 qualified teams into four groups of four.

Group A

- Espérance de Tunis

- Petro Atlético

- FC Nouadhibou

- Wiliete SC

Group B

- Zamalek SC

- Young Africans

- MC Alger

- Club Africain

Group C

- RS Berkane

- Simba SC

- Orlando Pirates

- Colombe Sportive

Group D

- Pyramids FC

- Al Hilal

- Horoya AC

- MAS de Fès

When Do The CAF Champions League Group Stages Start?

The group stage is scheduled to begin on 27 November 2026, with the opening round running until 29 November. The final group-stage matches are scheduled for 22–24 January 2027, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

For Pirates, the challenge now is to turn their strong qualifying campaign into a serious run in Africa’s premier club competition, as they look to end a 31-year wait since last winning the CAF Champions League in 1995.

Ralph Staniforth is a South African sports journalist, editor and betting writer who has worked in sports media since 2012.

With a background in Sports Science, he has covered a wide range of sports and interviewed leading players and coaches across South African rugby, cricket and football.

His sports betting work covers both South African and international markets, combining his knowledge of sport with extensive experience analysing fixtures, teams, form and betting markets.

Ralph specialises in football and rugby, while also covering cricket, tennis and golf. His work includes match previews, betting tips, betting guides and broader analysis of the sports betting industry.

You can find more from Ralph at Muckrack and LinkedIn.