CAF announce date for interclub preliminary draws . As CAF Champions league kicks off September 19
The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has officially confirmed two iconic figures in Tanzanian football as Draw Assistants for the 2025/26 CAF Interclub Preliminary Draw, scheduled to take place on Saturday, 9 August in Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam.
The draw will be held at the state-of-the-art Azam Media Studios, home to CAF’s strategic broadcast partner in East Africa, a region showing remarkable growth in both cumulative audiences and stadium attendance across all CAF competitions.
The event will be broadcast live at 13:00 local time (10:00 GMT) from Azam Media
Simba SC legend Abdalla Kibadeni Mputa and Young Africans SC icon Sunday Manara are the two Tanzanian football greats confirmed to conduct Saturday’s draw in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Abdallah Kibadeni Mputa – First scorer of a hat-trick in the Kariakoo derby
Affectionately known as “King Mputa” across East Africa, Kibadeni etched his name in the history books by becoming the first Simba SC player to score a hat-trick in the fiercely contested Kariakoo Derby against Young Africans SC in 1977.
Following a successful playing career, Mputa transitioned into coaching, where he continued to make his mark—most notably winning the Coach of the Season award with Kagera Sugar FC in 2013.
Sunday Manara – The pioneer who opened European doors to Tanzanian talent
Sunday Manara, who made his debut for Young Africans SC in 1970, broke new ground by becoming the first Tanzanian footballer to play professionally in Europe, signing with Dutch side Heracles Almelo in 1977.
His international career spanned the globe, with stints in the Netherlands, the United States, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates—placing Tanzanian football firmly on the global stage.
Saturday’s Draw marks a historic milestone as the first-ever CAF Interclub season draw hosted in East Africa, underlining CAF’s expanding footprint, deepening partnerships, and the rising appetite for African football across the continent.
The Preliminary Round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup is scheduled to kick off on 19 September 2025, followed by the Second Preliminary Round starting on 17 October 2025.
The Group Stage of both competitions will begin on 21 November 2025, with the knockout phase set to commence on 13 March 2026.
Following the overwhelming success of the previous TotalEnergies CAF Champions League leading to increased TV audiences, the Confédération Africain de Football (“CAF”) is taking the Preliminary Draw to Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam for the first time ever.
Azam Media, CAF’s strategic partner in the region, will host the Draw in its studios – once again building from the previous success of hosting draws in TV studios.
CAF has previously hosted the draws at SuperSport and beIN Sport studios – both key partners in the growth and development of the Interclub together with Canal+.
East Africa continues to show tremendous growth in the accumulative audiences in both the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
Saturday’s event signals the kick-off of what promises to be another thrilling season of Africa’s premier club competitions — the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
The Preliminary Round is scheduled to kick off on 19 September 2025, followed by the Second Preliminary Round starting on 17 October 2025.
The Group Stage of both the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will begin on 21 November 2025, with the knockout phase set to commence on 13 March 2026.
