TZ clubs begin CAF campaigns
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S continental football campaign bursts into life this weekend as five clubs begin their battles for a place in the group stages of the 2026/27 CAF inter-club competitions.
Simba SC, Young Africans (Yanga), KVZ, Singida Black Stars and KMKM will all be in action in the opening preliminary round, while Azam FC have earned a bye into the second round.
For Simba, Yanga and KVZ, the target is the CAF Champions League group stage, but the road is a demanding one, with four matches to negotiate before they can secure their place among Africa’s elite. Yanga get the ball rolling on Saturday when they visit Gaborone United of Botswana, having already arrived and stepped up preparations for the tie.
The Jangwani giants have also unveiled their new CAF kit, with Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano among those receiving the new strip and acknowledging the honour. But the glamour ends once the whistle blows, with Yanga needing a strong away performance to take control of the tie.
Simba follow on Sunday when they face Mighty Wanderers in Malawi, with their supporters already making the journey to rally behind the Reds.
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Victory over the Malawians would take Simba into a second-round meeting with the winner between 15 de Agosto of Equatorial Guinea and Fomboni FC of Comoros. For KVZ, the challenge begins in Libya against Swehly SC, with the Zanzibar champions already on the ground preparing for battle.
The reward for winning that tie could be a blockbuster second-round clash with Tunisian giants Espérance de Tunis. Meanwhile, the CAF Confederation Cup campaign also gets underway.
Singida Black Stars face AlGhazal of South Sudan, while Zanzibar’s KMKM have arguably the toughest opening assignment against Libyan powerhouse Al Ahli Tripoli.
Should KMKM cause an upset, they will meet the winner of Al Hilal Alsahil of Sudan and Welwalo Adigrat of Ethiopia. Azam, meanwhile, wait in the wings after receiving a first-round bye. They will enter against the winner of ZED FC of Egypt and ASAS Djibouti Télécom.
