THE vibrant football city of Dar es Salaam is set to become the epicenter of African club football this weekend as it hosts the highly anticipated preliminary draws for the 2025/26 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has chosen the East African hub as the venue for this season-defining event, a move that underscores the region's growing influence and passion for the sport.

The draw is scheduled for tomorrow and will be broadcast live to millions of fans across the continent.

The upcoming season promises another round of high-octane drama and competition, kicking off with the preliminary rounds.

The format for both competitions includes a two-tiered preliminary phase, a First Preliminary Round and a Second Preliminary Round. 

This structure is designed to narrow the field of contenders before the prestigious Group Stage begins.

One of the most significant aspects of the draw will be the identification of which teams will receive a crucial bye into the second preliminary round.

This exemption is not based on chance but on a club's continental performance over the past five seasons.

Teams from the top-ranked member associations and those with a strong recent history in CAF competitions are typically rewarded for their consistency.

In the CAF Champions League, heavyweights from North and Southern Africa are widely expected to be among the seeded teams.

Perennial powerhouses like Egypt’s Pyramids FC, the reigning champions, and Al Ahly, who have dominated the competition for years, are strong contenders for a second-round bye.

Similarly, South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns and the Democratic Republic of Congo's TP Mazembe, with their deep history in the tournament, are likely to skip the first round.

This means that many clubs from other parts of the continent, including league winners from nations with lower CAF rankings, will have to navigate the First Preliminary Round. 

This round often features intense, two-legged affairs that can be a grueling test of a team's mettle right from the start of the season.

This season presents a significant opportunity for Tanzanian clubs to advance further in continental competitions.

Simba SC, who reached the final of the CAF Confederation Cup last season, aims to replicate that success in the CAF Champions League.

After being eliminated in the Group Stage of the CAF Champions League last season, Young Africans SC is now hoping to progress further, bolstered by stable coaching.

For Azam FC and Singida Black Stars, a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage would be historic.

Azam FC was knocked out in the first round of the 2024/25 CAF Champions League by Rwanda’s APR FC, while Singida Black Stars are new to the competition. Both teams are now vying to make their mark.

Teams entering the Second Preliminary Round of the CAF Confederation Cup will face a challenging path, as they compete to earn their place in the next stage.

The losers of the CAF Champions League Second Preliminary Round will also drop down to the CAF Confederation Cup for a playoff, creating an additional layer of complexity and competition in the journey to the Group Stage.

For the Tanzanian representatives, whether in the CAF Champions League or CAF Confederation Cup, the draw represents the first step of a long and challenging journey.

The country's clubs have made significant strides on the continental stage, and fans will be hoping for a favourable draw that allows their teams to go deep into the competition.

East Africa continues to show tremendous growth in the cumulative audiences in both the CAF Champions League and 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 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

The First Preliminary Round is scheduled to kick off on September 19, 2025, followed by the Second Preliminary Round starting on October 17, 2025.

The Group Stage of both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup will begin on November 21, 2025, with the knockout phase set to commence on March 13, 2026.