Ghanaian club Nations FC will begin their first continental campaign against Mali’s FC Diarra after being drawn together in the first preliminary round of the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup.
The pairing was confirmed at the official draw ceremony in Cairo on Thursday, setting up a two-legged tie for the Ghana FA Cup holders.
Nations FC will play the first leg away in Mali between 4 and 6 September. The return match is scheduled to take place in Ghana from 11 to 13 September, with the overall winner progressing to the next stage of the competition.
The club that comes through the tie will face either AS Zam of Niger or ASKO De Kara of Togo in the following round. That means Nations FC’s route into the competition will begin with a challenging away fixture before they return home for the second leg.
The Abrankese-based side qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup by winning the 2025/26 Ghana FA Cup. That triumph secured the club a place in African inter-club football and created an opportunity for Nations FC to represent Ghana outside domestic competition for the first time.
Their meeting with FC Diarra will therefore mark the beginning of a significant chapter in the club’s history. Nations FC will be hoping to build on their success in Ghana and make a strong impression during their debut on the continental stage.
Founded in 2021, Nations FC have risen quickly through Ghanaian football. Their progress has now taken them into the CAF Confederation Cup, where they will seek to turn their domestic achievement into a memorable African campaign.
The opening fixture in Mali will be Nations FC’s first taste of competitive continental football, while the return match in Ghana will give them the chance to complete the tie on home soil. The aggregate winner will then continue into the next round against the winner of the AS Zam and ASKO De Kara contest.
For Nations FC, the draw provides a clear first test of their ability to compete beyond Ghana. Their place in the tournament follows the club’s historic FA Cup success, and the fixtures in September will offer the newly established side an opportunity to measure themselves against opposition from Mali and, potentially, Niger or Togo.
With the first leg scheduled for 4-6 September and the second between 11 and 13 September, the Ghanaian club now knows the opening stage of its continental journey. The campaign represents both the reward for last season’s domestic success and the next challenge in Nations FC’s rapid rise since their formation in 2021.
