Ghanaian champions Medeama SC will play five-time African champions TP Mazembe in the first preliminary round of the 2026/27 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, while MTN FA Cup holders Nations FC have been drawn against Mali’s FC Diarra in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
The pair discovered their opponents during Thursday’s preliminary-round draw at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
Medeama will begin their Champions League campaign at home, with the first leg against TP Mazembe scheduled to take place at the TnA Stadium. They will then travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the return fixture.
The tie presents a major test for the Tarkwa-based club, who face a TP Mazembe side with a long-standing record in African club football. The Congolese team have won the continent’s top club competition five times.
If Medeama SC eliminate TP Mazembe, they will meet either Tunisia’s Club Africain or Mali’s Djoliba AC in the second preliminary round.
Medeama qualified for the Champions League after being crowned Ghana Premier League champions. Their meeting with TP Mazembe will be one of the headline ties from the opening stage of the competition.
Nations FC, meanwhile, will make their first appearance in African club football after winning the 2025/26 MTN FA Cup.
The Kumasi-based side have been paired with FC Diarra in the Confederation Cup. Nations FC will travel to Mali for the first leg, which is scheduled to be played between 4 and 6 September 2026.
The return match will take place in Ghana between 11 and 13 September.
Should Nations FC progress, they will face the winner of the first-round tie between Niger’s AS Zam and Togo’s ASKO de Kara in the second preliminary round.
Their qualification represents a landmark moment for the club, which secured its place in continental competition by lifting the 2025/26 MTN FA Cup. It is the first time Nations FC have qualified for African club football.
Both Ghanaian clubs will therefore begin their campaigns with difficult assignments, although Medeama will have home advantage in the opening leg of their Champions League tie, while Nations FC will start their Confederation Cup contest away from home.
The preliminary-round fixtures will determine which clubs advance to the next stage of the two CAF competitions, with Medeama seeking to continue their progress among Africa’s leading sides and Nations FC preparing for their first experience of continental football.
