Tusker FC will begin their 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup campaign against Sudanese outfit Al Ahli Madani after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the preliminary round draw on Wednesday, 6 August.
The Mozzart Bet Cup champions secured Kenya’s ticket to the continental competition after edging 2025 league champions Kenya Police FC in the domestic cup final in June and will now be eyeing a strong return to continental football.
The Brewers will host the first leg of the tie between Friday, 4 and Sunday, 6 September, before travelling for the return leg a week later, with the aggregate winner advancing to the second preliminary round. Should Tusker overcome Al Ahli Madani, they will face either South Sudan’s Al Ghazala SC Wau or Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars in the second preliminary round, where a place in the lucrative group stage will be at stake.
The draw also saw eight of Africa’s top-ranked clubs receive byes into the second preliminary round owing to their CAF rankings. They include Egyptian giants Al Ahly, Azam FC of Tanzania, Algerian duo USM Alger and CR Belouizdad, Moroccan heavyweights AS FAR and Raja Casablanca, AS Maniema Union of DR Congo and South African giants Kaizer Chiefs.
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Elsewhere, Somalia’s Mogadishu City Club will face Uganda’s Kitara FC for the right to meet Al Ahly, while Rwanda’s Rayon Sports take on Panthère Sportive of Congo, with the winner set to battle Atomic de N’Zérékoré or Uganda’s Black Bulls.Other notable ties include Red Arrows of Zambia against Burundi’s FC Rouge, with South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs awaiting the winner, and ZED FC of Egypt against ASAS Djibouti, where the successful side will earn a date with Azam FC.
Qualification for the group stage would represent a major sporting and financial milestone for Tusker, with CAF significantly rewarding clubs that reach the competition proper.Even if the Brewers fall short in the preliminary rounds, they will still receive a USD 100,000 (approximately Ksh12.9 million) solidarity payment from CAF.TACTICAL ANALYSIS: Gor Mahia’s blueprint that saw them reach CECAFA Kagame Cup final