The TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2026/27 opened with a compelling preliminary-round weekend that underlined how narrow the margins are at this stage of continental football.

Across 28 completed first legs — played from Friday to Sunday — 43 goals were scored, with 11 home wins, seven away wins, and 10 draws. The return fixtures are scheduled for 11–13 September.

Seven clubs win on the road

Away victories in continental competition are always hard to come by, yet seven clubs managed exactly that over the opening weekend.

Zamalek led the charge, defeating AS Port 2-1 in Djibouti. Al Hilal Omdurman and Teungueth FC added their own away wins on Saturday, before Sunday delivered four more: Pyramids FC won 2-0 at Gor Mahia, while Petro Atlético, Simba SC, and TP Mazembe each claimed 1-0 victories at UD Songo, Mighty Wanderers, and Medeama respectively.

Away sides won exactly 25 percent of the 28 matches. Crucially, six of those seven travelling sides kept clean sheets — only Zamalek conceded on their way to victory.

Clean sheets dominated the weekend

More than 71 percent of matches — 20 of 28 — featured at least one clean sheet, with 25 individual clean sheets recorded across the entire weekend.

Five matches ended 0-0, including La Cure Waves' stalemate with Orlando Pirates, ASN Nigelec's draw with MC Alger, and Colombe Sportive's meeting with Stade Malien. Aiglons against Sidaama Buna and Star Sport Academy against Medina United also produced no goals. Only eight of the 28 matches saw both teams get on the scoresheet.

One-goal margins tell a tight story

Eleven of the 28 fixtures — 39 percent — finished 1-0. At home, Asswehly, JS Saoura, El Merriekh Bentiu, Al Merreikh, Club Africain, Aigles du Congo, and Scottland all claimed narrow wins. Teungueth, Petro Atlético, Simba, and TP Mazembe did the same away from home.

Combined with the five goalless draws, 16 of the 28 matches produced one goal or fewer — more than half the entire round.

Big names frustrated by determined underdogs

Some of the most striking results of the weekend belonged to the teams that did not win at all.

Champions League debutants La Cure Waves held Orlando Pirates to a 0-0 draw in Mauritius, giving the Mauritian side everything to play for in the return leg in South Africa. CAF had flagged Pirates' opener as a potentially tricky assignment, and La Cure Waves delivered precisely that.

Botswana champions Gaborone United came within seconds of a famous victory over Tanzanian giants Young Africans. Ambrosius Amseb put the hosts ahead in the 32nd minute, only for Selemani Mwalimu to rescue Yanga with an equaliser six minutes into stoppage time.

In Niamey, ASN Nigelec held highly regarded MC Alger to a 0-0 draw — a timely reminder that reputation means little once preliminary-round football begins.

Two teams make four-goal statements

Only two sides scored four goals, but both have given themselves commanding leads heading into the second legs.

Wiliete produced the biggest winning margin of the weekend with a 4-0 victory against Foresters. Maghreb Fès defeated Rahimo 4-1 in Morocco, with four different players — Adam Brika, Soulaïman Allouch, Titus, and Christopher Ibayi — all finding the net.