CAF sets dates for CR Belouizdad and Gendarmerie clashes in Confederation Cup

The CAF has confirmed the dates for the matches between CR Belouizdad and the Mauritanian Customs Club in the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup for the 2026-2027 season, after the match had been pending due to a legal dispute that reached the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The CAF has set November 23 for the first leg match, which will be hosted at the Cheikhha Ould Boidiya Stadium in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, at 6 PM Algeria time.

The return match will take place on November 27 in Algeria, starting at 8 PM, with the stadium that will host the encounter yet to be announced.

In the context of the adjustments related to the match, the CAF Confederation Cup has postponed the first round group stage match, which will bring together Zambian Red Arrows and the team qualifying from the CR Belouizdad and Customs clash, to take place during the period from December 11 to 13, 2026, after it was originally scheduled to be held on November 26, 27, or 28. Meanwhile, the second round match will take place as previously scheduled.

The developments come after the Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling on Monday, which saw Mauritania's Club des Douanes advance to the second preliminary round at the expense of Guinea's Hafia Conakry.

The first preliminary round second leg match between the Customs and Hafia Conakry was surrounded by controversy, as the Mauritanian team could not arrive at the stadium on time. The match was held later, and Customs managed to secure the victory, which led the Guinean club to file an appeal with the sports court regarding the match result.

Thus, CR Belouizdad's match against Mauritania's Customs has been confirmed, with the winning team set to join Group C of the CAF Confederation Cup, which includes Zambian Red Arrows, Tanzanian Singida Black Stars, and Congolese Maniema Union.