Al-Merreikh will face Zambia's Power Dynamos in the preliminary round of the African Champions League.

The draw for the first preliminary round of the 2026-2027 African Champions League, which took place today, Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the headquarters of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo, resulted in a Sudanese-Zambian match between Al-Merreikh of Sudan and Power Dynamos of Zambia.

Al-Merreikh will meet the Zambian champions in the first leg away from home, with the return leg to be played in Port Sudan, from September 19 to 21 for the first leg, and from September 26 to 28 for the second leg.

If Al-Merreikh qualifies from this match, they will face the winner of the match between Horoya Conakry of Guinea and JS Saoura of Algeria in the second preliminary round.

Al-Merreikh represents Sudan in the continental championship this season after occupying an advanced position in the Premier League, and the Red Team seeks to pass the preliminary rounds to return to the group stage after an absence.

Power Dynamos, for its part, is considered one of the leading clubs in the Zambian league and has previously participated in continental competitions, while Horoya Conakry has extensive African experience, and JS Saoura has returned to the continental stage after an absence.

The first preliminary round competitions will begin with the participation of 54 teams, with 16 teams qualifying for the group stage.