Al Ahly will begin their CAF Confederation Cup journey this season after failing to qualify for the CAF Champions League for the first time since 2004.
The first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup takes place this weekend, although Al Ahly will not be involved at that stage. Their status means they have been given a bye into the second preliminary round, where they will face the winner of the tie between Mogadishu City Club of Somalia and Kitara FC of Uganda.
For the Cairo club, the campaign represents a significant change in continental circumstances. Al Ahly have been Egypt’s leading representative in Africa for 22 consecutive seasons, regularly competing on the continent’s biggest stage. Their absence from the CAF Champions League follows a difficult 2025-26 season in which they finished third in the domestic championship.
Zamalek and Pyramids, who finished ahead of them, will instead represent Egypt in the CAF Champions League. Al Ahly’s failure to qualify therefore ends a long period of continuity for the club, which has traditionally been one of the competition’s defining forces.
The setback is particularly notable because the period since 2004 has also been the most successful in Al Ahly’s history. During those 22 seasons, the Cairo side won nine of their 12 African titles. Their record in the CAF Champions League has established them as the most decorated club in the competition, making this season’s move into the continent’s second club tournament an unusual development.
Al Ahly’s involvement in the CAF Confederation Cup is expected to offer the players and supporters a chance to respond after that disappointment. The club’s continental reputation remains considerable, but their immediate task will be to rebuild momentum in a competition they would not normally be expected to contest.
The first preliminary round will determine which sides progress to the next phase, including the eventual opponent for Al Ahly. Mogadishu City Club and Kitara FC will meet over two legs, with the winner earning the right to travel to Cairoor host Al Ahly, depending on the schedulefor the second preliminary round.
For the “red” club from Cairo, the change in competition will not alter the scale of their ambition. The main objective will be to claim another continental trophy and re-establish a positive connection with their supporters. This campaign should also give Al Ahly the opportunity to reconnect with their public after a season that failed to deliver another place in the CAF Champions League.
Although the club’s status provides protection from the opening round, the route to the title will still require Al Ahly to negotiate the second preliminary round and the stages that follow. Their campaign begins with the consequences of a rare failure, but the target remains familiar: winning a new African honour.