Can APR, Rayon End Rwanda’s CAF Group Stage Wait?
On this Thursday, August 6, 2026, the draw for the preliminary rounds of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup was held in Cairo, Egypt, with Rwanda represented by APR FC and Rayon Sports this 2026/27 season.
In the CAF Champions League, APR FC were drawn against Les Aigles du Congo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the preliminary round. Should they progress, they will face the winner of the tie between AS Port of Djibouti and Egyptian giants Zamalek.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Rayon Sports will begin their campaign against Panthère Sportive of Cameroon.
If Rayon Sports advance, they will meet the winner of the clash between Black Bulls of Mozambique and Atomic Ngomé of Comoros in the next qualifying round.
Should both Rwandan clubs successfully navigate the two qualifying rounds, they would make history by securing places in the group stage of CAF's inter-club competitions. The last Rwandan club to reach that stage was Rayon Sports during the 2018/19 season, when they went on to reach the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup.
Former Rwanda national team (Amavubi) and APR FC captain Olivier Karekezi was among the invited guests who assisted with conducting the draw.
The first-leg matches of the preliminary round are scheduled to take place between September 4 and 6, 2026, with both Rwandan clubs playing away from home. The return legs will be played in Rwanda between September 11 and 13, 2026.
