NBC Mainland Premier League champions Simba SC qualified for the CAF Champions League group stage for the sixth time yesterday after securing a convincing 3-0 victory over 15 de Agosto in the second leg, played at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
The victory saw Simba advance with a 9-1 aggregate score after winning the first leg 6-1.
The achievement places Simba alongside 15 other African football heavyweights ahead of the group-stage draw.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the draw for the four groups will take place on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in Cairo, Egypt, starting at 2:00 p.m.
This season has produced major surprises, with several prominent teams, including defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Egyptian giants Al Ahly, eliminated early and failing to reach the group stage.
Mamelodi Sundowns were knocked out by Angola’s Wiliete SC in what has been described as one of the biggest upsets of the year. Tanzania will have two representatives at this stage, with Simba SC and their traditional rivals Yanga both placed in Pot 2.
The two Tanzanian sides cannot be drawn in the same group.
The full list of qualified teams and their respective pots ahead of Wednesday’s draw is as follows:
- Pot 1: Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), RS Berkane (Morocco), Zamalek SC (Egypt), Pyramids FC (Egypt).
- Pot 2: Simba SC (Tanzania), Yanga (Tanzania), Petro de Luanda (Angola), Orlando Pirates (South Africa).
- Pot 3: Horoya AC (Guinea), FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania), Club Africain (Tunisia), MC Alger (Algeria).
- Pot 4: Wiliete SC (Angola), Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan), Maghreb Fès (Morocco), Colombe Sportive (Cameroon).
The opening matches of the group stage are expected to kick off in early November.
