Orlando Pirates will not receive a bye into the group stage qualifiers of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League despite winning the Betway Premiership title.
The Buccaneers will have to begin their continental campaign in the first preliminary round after missing out on a top-10 spot in CAF’s five-year club rankings.
Their rivals, Mamelodi Sundowns, have been spared the early qualifying rounds as they will participate in the CAF Super Cup against USM Alger on October 31 before taking part in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, giving them a later entry into the Champions League.
For Pirates, the early start presents another difficult hurdle in their quest to return to the group stages.
Orlando Pirates face another tricky CAF campaign
The Soweto giants have featured in the CAF Champions League in three of the last four seasons but have only reached the group stage once.
They suffered painful preliminary-round exits to Jwaneng Galaxy and Saint-Éloi Lupopo, with last season’s elimination to the Congolese side proving particularly disappointing despite the club having completed a domestic treble.
Why did Orlando Pirates not get a bye from CAF?
CAF’s club rankings are calculated using performances over the previous five seasons and determine seeding as well as which clubs receive byes into the second preliminary round.
Only the top 10 ranked clubs are exempt from the opening round of the 2026/27 Champions League.
Orlando Pirates are currently ranked 19th on the CAF coefficient standings, meaning they will once again have to navigate two qualifying rounds to secure a place in the lucrative group stage.
With several dangerous clubs entering the preliminary rounds, the Buccaneers could face another challenging path as they aim to avoid an early continental exit and finally establish themselves among Africa’s elite once again.
