Five African giants looking to revive their fortunes in CAF Interclub competitions

For some of Africa's most decorated clubs, the 2026/27 CAF Interclub season will be about far more than chasing another trophy.

Al Ahly, Raja Casablanca, TP Mazembe, ASEC Mimosas and Club Africain all enter the new continental campaign carrying illustrious histories, demanding support bases and expectations that have not always been matched by their most recent domestic or continental results.

Their circumstances are not identical. TP Mazembe, ASEC and Club Africain will compete in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, while Al Ahly and Raja Casablanca find themselves in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup after domestic campaigns that did not secure Champions League qualification.

But the common thread is clear: all five have the pedigree to regard continental football as an opportunity to reset, rebuild confidence and remind Africa of their status.

The preliminary-round draws have given each a different route, but for clubs accustomed to lifting major trophies, simply participating will not be enough.

Al Ahly – unfamiliar territory for Africa's record champions

No club arrives in the Confederation Cup with a greater continental reputation than Al Ahly.

The Cairo giants are record 12-time winners of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and have spent much of the modern era defining success in African club football.

That is precisely why their appearance in the Confederation Cup is so striking.

Rather than beginning another Champions League campaign among the favourites, Al Ahly will enter Africa's second-tier club competition at the Second Preliminary Round, where they will face either Mogadishu City Club of Somalia or Uganda's Kitara FC.

Their presence immediately changes the complexion of the tournament.

For Al Ahly, the objective will be to turn disappointment at missing Champions League qualification into motivation. A strong run could restore momentum and underline that one difficult domestic season does not erase decades of continental dominance.

The Confederation Cup also offers a substantial prize, with USD 4 million awaiting the champions.

For a club whose identity has been built around winning, it represents both an opportunity and a challenge: Al Ahly will be expected to compete for the trophy from the moment they enter.

Raja Casablanca – a chance to rebuild continental momentum

Raja Casablanca face a similar task.

The Moroccan giants are three-time African champions and remain one of the continent's most recognisable clubs, but their place in the Confederation Cup reflects a domestic season that fell below the standards expected in Casablanca.

Raja have received a bye into the Second Preliminary Round and will face either Nigeria's El Kanemi Warriors or UDIB of Guinea-Bissau.

Their pedigree in CAF competition should make them one of the teams nobody wants to face.

Raja's history extends beyond the Champions League. They have also enjoyed major success in the Confederation Cup, meaning the competition offers familiar territory rather than consolation alone.

A deep run could provide exactly the platform required to restore confidence, strengthen the squad's mentality and reconnect supporters with the club's tradition of continental success.

For a team accustomed to judging itself against Morocco's and Africa's best, the 2026/27 campaign presents an opportunity to turn a domestic setback into a continental revival.

TP Mazembe – African royalty searching for another major run

TP Mazembe remain one of the defining names of African club football.

The Lubumbashi giants have won the African championship five times and remain the last club from sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa to build a sustained period of dominance in the competition.

Their history means every Champions League campaign carries expectations.

This season they begin with one of the more intriguing First Preliminary Round ties against Ghana's Medeama SC.

Progress would not make the route much easier, with the winners scheduled to meet either Tunisia's Club Africain or Mali's Djoliba AC for a place in the group stage.

Mazembe therefore have little room to settle into the competition.

For a club whose best teams once intimidated opponents across the continent, negotiating such a difficult path could become the foundation for a wider revival.

Lubumbashi remains one of African football's most demanding away destinations, and Mazembe's continental experience gives them an advantage few rivals possess.

Their challenge is to turn reputation into results again.

ASEC Mimosas – seeking to reconnect with a glorious past

ASEC Mimosas are another historic African name trying to build a new chapter.

The Ivorian giants were crowned African champions in 1998 and have long been admired for an academy system that produced generations of outstanding players.

Their influence on African football has often extended beyond trophies, with ASEC developing talent that went on to succeed at club and international level.

But their stature means supporters continue to demand meaningful continental runs.

ASEC begin this year's Champions League away to ASCK of Togo.

If they progress, they will face either Morocco's MAS de Fès or Burkina Faso's Rahimo FC in the Second Preliminary Round.

On paper, their route provides a realistic opportunity to reach the group stage, but the preliminary rounds have repeatedly shown that reputation offers little protection.

For ASEC, returning to the Champions League group phase would represent an important step towards restoring the club's place among Africa's leading sides.

A successful campaign could also demonstrate that their famed development model can still produce teams capable of competing with clubs possessing significantly larger financial resources.

Club Africain – continental football offers route back to prominence

Few clubs in Tunisia carry the history and emotional weight of Club Africain.

The Tunis giants became African champions in 1991, becoming the first Tunisian side to win the continent's premier club competition.

Yet their more recent years have been marked by inconsistency and periods in which their great rivals Espérance have enjoyed greater domestic and continental prominence.

Their return to the Champions League therefore brings both opportunity and pressure.

Club Africain open their campaign against Mali's Djoliba AC in the First Preliminary Round.

Victory could produce a heavyweight Second Preliminary Round contest against TP Mazembe, provided the Congolese giants overcome Medeama.

A Club Africain-Mazembe tie would bring together two former African champions before the group stage has even begun – a reminder of how unforgiving this season's qualifying route could be.

For Club Africain, continental progress would offer more than sporting success. It could help rebuild confidence around a club seeking to re-establish itself among Tunisia's and Africa's elite.

A season of redemption

The circumstances surrounding these five clubs illustrate the changing competitive landscape of African club football.

Past success no longer guarantees Champions League qualification, much less continental trophies.

Mamelodi Sundowns are the reigning African champions, Pyramids have recently joined the list of Champions League winners, while clubs such as RS Berkane, Orlando Pirates, Espérance, Zamalek and USM Alger continue to challenge the traditional order.

That makes the new season particularly significant for Africa's established giants.

For Al Ahly and Raja Casablanca, the Confederation Cup offers the chance to respond immediately to disappointing domestic outcomes.

For TP Mazembe, ASEC Mimosas and Club Africain, the Champions League provides an opportunity to reconnect with the eras when their names carried even greater weight across the continent.

The First Preliminary Round will be played from 4-6 September, with return legs from 11-13 September. The Second Preliminary Round follows from 16-18 October, before the return fixtures from 23-25 October determine the group-stage participants.

When the action begins, history will guarantee these five clubs attention.

What happens next will determine whether 2026/27 becomes another reminder of former glory – or the season in which some of Africa's biggest names begin creating it again.