Shooting Stars will host CS Sfaxien in the first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup on Saturday, with both sides competing to strengthen their prospects of advancing in Africa’s second-tier club competition.
The opening match of the two-legged tie will be played at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Ibadan, Nigeria, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 GMT on 5 September 2026.
Shooting Stars, known as the Oluyole Warriors, will have home advantage and will be looking to use the occasion to put their supporters at the centre of the contest. The Nigerian club is expected to approach the first leg with the aim of producing a strong performance in front of its own crowd and putting pressure on its Tunisian opponents.
For CS Sfaxien, the challenge is to remain in contention before the return fixture. The Tunisian club, whose players are known by the nickname Ceistes, will travel to Nigeria determined to protect their chances of progressing from the preliminary stage.
The result in Ibadan will therefore shape the balance of the tie before the two teams meet again. Shooting Stars will want to establish a lead or at least secure a result that gives them momentum, while CS Sfaxien’s priority will be to avoid leaving the first leg with their qualification hopes seriously weakened.
Neither side can secure progression on Saturday, but the outcome will be important in deciding which team holds the advantage ahead of the return match. In a two-legged contest, the first meeting provides the initial opportunity to build a platform for advancement, while also leaving the losing side with the need to respond in the second game.
The winners of the tie will take an important step through the preliminary rounds towards the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup. That path begins in Ibadan, where Shooting Stars will attempt to turn home support into a positive first-leg result against a CS Sfaxien side intent on keeping the contest open.
The match brings together clubs from Nigeria and Tunisia at the opening stage of the continental competition. Shooting Stars are relying on the energy of the Oluyole Warriors identity and the backing of their home supporters, while CS Sfaxien arrive with the clear objective of preserving their prospects before the return leg.
With qualification still to be decided over the full confrontation, Saturday’s fixture will be the first significant test of which team can impose itself in the race for the next stage.