The Confederation of African Football is experiencing heightened tensions as new registration regulations have been revealed following the hours spent conducting the group stage draw for the 2025/26 CAF Champions League. This draw has placed Nigeria’s Rivers United in a challenging Group A, alongside the defending champions Pyramids FC and the formidable RS Berkane, thereby setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most competitive tournaments in recent history.
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As per the latest report, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has introduced new registration guidelines for players joining African clubs in anticipation of the group stage of the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.
The draws for both tournaments took place on Monday afternoon in Johannesburg, with 16 teams, including Nigeria’s Rivers United, prepared to compete in the Champions League group phase.
CAF has indicated that clubs will have the opportunity to register new players from January 1 to 31, 2026, aligning with the January transfer window.
During this timeframe, the third and fourth rounds of the group stage will be conducted.
Nevertheless, CAF has stressed that for new signings to be eligible to participate in these matches, their registration in the official CAF system must be finalized at least 72 hours prior to kickoff.
The group stage fixtures are scheduled as follows: Matchday 1: November 21–23
Matchday 2: November 28–30
Matchday 3: January 23–25
Matchday 4: January 30–February 1
Matchday 5: February 6–8
Matchday 6: February 13–15
Rivers United stands as Nigeria’s representative in the competition, being one of Africa’s top 16 clubs striving for continental success.
Rivers United’s head coach, Finidi George, has underscored the importance of mental preparedness for his players as they approach their CAF Champions League group stage campaign.
In response to the draw announced on Monday in Johannesburg, Finidi expressed that the team should not fear any opponent but must maintain mental strength to compete at the highest level.
