The TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup gets underway this Friday with the preliminary round first legs, and the 2026/27 edition boasts one of the most historically rich fields the competition has ever seen — nine of the 56 participating clubs have previously reached the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Four former champions of Africa

Leading the roll of honour is Al Ahly, the Egyptian giants who hold the record as 12-time African champions. The Cairo club return to the Confederation Cup after an absence of 11 years, bringing a depth of continental experience that no rival can match.

Raja Casablanca are also in the field, the Moroccan side having claimed Africa's premier club title three times — in 1989, 1997, and 1999 — and having reached the final again in 2002. Fellow Moroccan outfit AS FAR were crowned champions in 1985 and most recently appeared in a continental final in 2026, when they narrowly lost 2-1 on aggregate to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Guinea's Hafia FC complete the quartet of former African champions. A dominant force on the continent in the 1970s, they lifted the continental crown in 1972, 1975, and 1977, and finished runners-up in both 1976 and 1978.

Clubs who came agonisingly close

Nigeria's Shooting Stars twice came within one match of African glory, finishing runners-up in 1984 and again in 1996. Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa's most celebrated club, reached the 2021 final only to be beaten by Al Ahly.

CS Sfaxien of Tunisia made the Champions League final in 2006, where Al Ahly again stood in the way. USM Alger of Algeria were runners-up in 2015 and have since collected major CAF silverware in other competitions.

Rounding out the group of storied finalists is AS Real Bamako, one of Malian club football's early continental pioneers, who reached the African Cup of Champions Clubs final as far back as 1966.

A prize worth chasing

All 56 clubs competing this season are chasing a first prize of $4 million, with the opening preliminary round first legs set to provide the first glimpse of what promises to be a compelling edition of the Confederation Cup.