Gor Mahia and Tusker land tough opponents in Caf tournaments

Kenyan champions Gor Mahia and Football Kenya Federation Premier Cup winners Tusker have landed tough opponents in the preliminary round of CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

Gor Mahia, who return to continental football this season, face former  champions Pyramids FC from Egypt in the first preliminary round of CAF Champions League. Pyramids won the 2024-25 CAF Champions League title after beating South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in the final. 

Meanwhile, Tusker FC have been drawn against Sudanese side Al Ahli Madani in the preliminary round of  the 2025/2026 CAF Confederation Cup.

According to the draw for the tournament conducted at CAF headquarters in Cairo on Thursday, Gor Mahia will host Pyramids in the first leg of the first round preliminary matches between September 4 and 6, and travel to Egypt for the return match between September 11 and 13.

Gor Mahia will be seeking to upset one of Africa’s strongest clubs and keep alive hope of reaching the lucrative group stage.

Pyramids have appointed South African coach Rulani Mokwena as they target another continental crown after last season’s quarter-final exit. For Gor’s Ghanaian coach Charles Akonnor, the draw presents an immediate test of the squad he has rebuilt in off-season. 

Akonnor has strengthened his squad in recent months specifically to enable the record 22-time Kenyan champions compete strongly in Africa. Gor have set for themselves a target of reaching the group stage of the Caf Champions League. 

Each participating team in the 2026/2027 CAF Champions League tournament is guaranteed $100,000 (Sh12.93 million) in solidarity funding. The winners of the tournament will receive $6 million (Sh776.1 million) in prize money.

Gor Mahia have never reached the group stage of the Champions League in its current format. Their best performances in the competition came in 1969 and in 1992 when they reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Champions Clubs.

At the same time, Tusker FC will begin their continental campaign against the Sudanese club hoping to secure passage to the next stage.

Should Tusker eliminate Al Ahli Madani in the two-leg first round preliminary stage, they will face either Sudan’s Al Ghazala SC or Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars in the second preliminary round. Winners of the second preliminary round will qualify for the group stage.

Both Gor Mahia and Tusker will be seeking to fly Kenya’s flag high on the continent after mixed fortunes for local clubs in past CAF competitions.

In the 2025/2026 season, Kenya Police were eliminated in the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League, while Nairobi United were eliminated in the Group Stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.

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