Wanderers going through the drills in preparation
* Across the last five editions, from 2021/22 through to 2025/26, there have been 80 available group-stage places, which have been filled by 38 different clubs
* Al Ahly (Egypt), Al Hilal (Sudan), Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia) and current holders Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) are the competition’s consistency kings over that period
* Each appearing in all five group stages as clubs begin their campaigns this weekend with that aim in mind
* Malawi’s representative Mighty Wanderers will host Tanzania’s Simba SC in first leg on Sunday at Bingu National Stadium
By Duncan Mlanjira
African top clubs begin their CAF Champions League 2026/27 campaigns this weekend in two-legged knockout preliminary round to earn a place into the qualifying group stages.
Advertisement
The preliminary round of the competition will begin with the first legs from tomorrow, September 4-6 and conclude a week later.
Malawi’s representatives Mighty Wanderers will host Tanzania’s Simba Sporting Club in first leg on Sunday at Bingu National Stadium before the away encounter on Friday, September 11.
According to CAFonline, reaching the CAF Champions League group stage “is one of the toughest tests in African club football [and] the clubs begin their campaigns this weekend with that aim in mind”.
“Across the last five editions, from 2021/22 through to 2025/26, there have been 80 available group-stage places, which have been filled by 38 different clubs — yet only four have managed to qualify in every single season.
“Al Ahly (Egypt), Al Hilal (Sudan), Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia) and current holders Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) are the competition’s consistency kings over that period, each appearing in all five group stages.
“Between them, those four clubs have occupied 20 of the 80 available places, exactly 25% of the total, illustrating just how difficult it is for new challengers to break the grip of Africa’s most established sides.”
The record for Wanderers in the Africa’s premier elite club tournament dates back to 1997 in the African Cup of Champions Clubs in which the Nomads made history as the first Malawian club to enter the rebranded tournament format.
They faced Lesotho’s Roma Rovers in the preliminary round but were eliminated early and they returned for a consecutive year in 1998 in which they were knocked out in the first round by Zimbabwean powerhouses Dynamos FC.
The 1999 edition — making their third consecutive appearance, the Nomads were drawn against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the first round and suffered elimination.
They took a long 19-year break and in 2018 joined the rebranded CAF Champions League when they faced Democratic Republic of the Congo giants AS Vita Club — losing 4-0 away in Kinshasa but bouncing back to claim a 1-0 home victory in the return leg at Kamuzu Stadium — bowing out 4-1 on aggregate.
Wanderers sat out of continental play for several years before returning for the CAF Confederation Cup 2025/26 — winning 1-0 at home against Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy but lost 1-0 in the away leg, eventually suffering an agonising penalty shootout elimination.
Only Nyasa Big Bullets have ever qualified in the group stages during the 2004 season when sponsored by former President, Bakili Muluzi — achieving its best continental run.
But in the 2022 campaign, the Bullets were eliminated 4-0 on aggregate by the same team Wanderers are facing in this edition, Simba SC.
The Bullets advanced past Dragon FC of Equatorial Guinea in the first preliminary round of the 2023 campaign before falling to TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In the 2024 campaign, the People’s Team were knocked out in the preliminary stages by Zambia’s Red Arrows FC on a 3-2 aggregate score after a 2-0 defeat in the second leg.
Participation in 2026/27 campaign marks the Nomads’ first return to the CAF Champions League in eight years.
The aggregate winner of this tie will advance to the second preliminary round to face winners between 15 De Agosto of Equatorial Guinea and Fomboni De Moheli of Comoros Islands.
According to CAFonline, Simba SC have qualified for the group stages three times, “further underlining Tanzania’s growing presence in CAF club football”.
Their compatriots, Young Africans (Yanga) — who were once coached by Malawian, late Jack Chamagwana — have reached the groups in each of the last three seasons, “transforming themselves from occasional challengers into regular members of the elite stage of the competition”.
CAFonline underlines that TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Zamalek (Egypt), have rich histories in African football, sitting alongside sides such as AS FAR (Morocco) and MC Alger (Algeria).
COSAFA side, Orlando Pirates of South Africa are reported as one of the continent’s historic names and former African champions, who feature among the clubs with a single group-stage appearance in this five-season window — “illustrating how even traditional powers can find consistency difficult”.
The other one-time qualifiers are: AS Maniema Union, AS Vita Club, Saint-Éloi Lupopo (all DR Congo), ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire), Coton Sport (Cameroon), Djoliba AC, Stade Malien (both Mali), ES Sétif (Algeria), Power Dynamos (Zambia), RS Berkane (Morocco), Rivers United (Nigeria), Vipers SC (Uganda).
“Of the 38 different clubs to reach the group stage over the last five seasons, only 21 have done so more than once,” reports CAFonline. “There is, however, evidence of new challengers beginning to establish themselves.”
Could that be Mighty Wanderers, who soon after losing 1-2 to Ekhaya FC in the Airtel Top 8 2026 final suspended head coach Bob Mpinganjira and replaced him with his assistant McDonald Mtetemera as interim to prepare against Simba SC?
Mtetemera with his charges in training
Mtetemera is quoted by Wa Mpira online as saying he was fully prepared for the responsibility and called for unity within the Wanderers camp.
“I’m ready for the task,” he is quoted as saying. “I just want to appeal to the Wanderers family to remain united, work together. There is nothing to refrain us if there is unity,” said the former Silver Strikers, Chitipa United and Creck Sporting Club head coach.
Wa Mpira reports that Mtetemera did not shy away from the size of the challenge ahead but expressed belief that Wanderers can outplay Simba SC when the two sides meet.
“It’s a difficult game on paper, but on the ground it can be a different game. We will try everything to progress,” said Mtetemera, who joined the Wanderers technical bench as assistant coach last year, gaining first-hand knowledge of the squad before stepping into the interim head coach role.—Additional details by Wa Mpira
Advertisement