Durban City FC Await Historic CAF Draw as South Africa’s Last Team Standing
Durban City FC will discover their opponents in the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup group stage draw on Wednesday, 28 October, as the club prepares for the next chapter of a historic continental campaign. The draw will take place at the Egypt Football Association headquarters in Cairo and is scheduled to begin at 13h00 South African time.
The KwaZulu-Natal outfit has already made history by reaching the group stages of the competition for the first time. Under the guidance of Eric Tinkler, Durban City produced one of the standout performances of the qualifying rounds, comfortably dispatching Mauritian side AS Port-Louis 2000 with a dominant 6-1 aggregate victory.
Their convincing success over the two legs showcased the club’s growing maturity and ambition on the continental stage. Durban City combined attacking firepower with defensive solidity to secure passage into the lucrative group phase, where they will now face some of Africa’s most established clubs.
The achievement becomes even more significant considering Durban City will be South Africa’s only representative in this season’s CAF Confederation Cup group stages. With Kaizer Chiefs falling at the qualification hurdle, the responsibility of flying the national flag now rests entirely on Tinkler’s side.
Chiefs entered the competition with hopes of making a strong impression in Africa but were unable to progress beyond the qualifying rounds. Amakhosi suffered a disappointing aggregate defeat in their preliminary-round tie, squandering their opportunity to reach the group stages and ending their continental campaign before the main draw.
The Soweto giants’ elimination was a blow for South African football, as many expected Chiefs to join Durban City in the group phase. Instead, their early exit has left Durban City carrying the country’s hopes in a competition filled with experienced continental campaigners.
Wednesday’s draw promises to be a daunting one for Durban City. The club has been placed in Pot 4 alongside AS Kara of Togo, Zambia’s Red Arrows and Angola’s 1 de Agosto, meaning they are guaranteed to face higher-ranked opposition from the other pots.
Pot 1 contains continental heavyweights including Egypt’s Al Ahly, Algeria’s USM Alger and AS FAR of Morocco, while Pot 2 features strong sides such as Raja Casablanca, AS Maniema Union, Azam FC and CS Sfaxien. Pot 3 includes Al Ahli Tripoli, Singida Black Stars, Black Bulls and Real Bamako.
With several former African champions and regular continental competitors awaiting them, Durban City can expect a stern examination in the group stages. However, their impressive qualifying performances have demonstrated that they are capable of competing against quality opposition and causing problems for more established clubs.
For now, all eyes are on Cairo as Durban City await the outcome of the draw. Regardless of who emerges from the pots, Tinkler’s men have already written a memorable chapter in the club’s history and will be eager to continue their remarkable CAF Confederation Cup journey while carrying South Africa’s banner on the continental stage.