Colombe's CAF Champions League draw promises reunions, new destinations and continental tests

com-Cameroon Cameroon champions Colombe Sportive du Dja et Lobo have been handed an intriguing assignment in the 2026/27 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League following Wednesday's group-stage draw in Cairo, Egypt. Richard Towa's side, preparing for their historic first appearance in the competition's group stage, will face Morocco's RS Berkane, Tanzania's Simba SC and South African giants Orlando Pirates in Group C.

Beyond the sporting challenge, the draw presents several interesting storylines for the Cameroonian representatives, including a reunion with a former player, familiar continental opponents and journeys to destinations rarely visited by Cameroonian clubs. The meeting with Simba SC will bring Colombe face to face with Congolese midfielder Iñno Jospin Luemba, who previously played for the Dja et Lobo outfit before joining the Tanzanian giants from FC Köln.

His presence at Simba adds another interesting dimension to the fixture, as he prepares to face a club he knows from his previous experience in Cameroon. RS Berkane will also be making another trip to Cameroon.

The Moroccan club previously visited the country in March 2021 for a CAF Confederation Cup group-stage encounter against Coton Sport of Garoua. On that occasion, Coton Sport claimed a 2-0 victory.

Berkane's upcoming meeting with Colombe will therefore bring them back to Cameroonian football after that previous continental encounter. The arrival of Orlando Pirates will equally attract attention.

The South African giants will become the next club from their country to visit Cameroon since Kaizer Chiefs travelled to Limbe in November 2020 to face PWD Bamenda in the CAF Champions League preliminary round. Chiefs won the first leg 1-0 before completing qualification in Johannesburg.

For Colombe, however, the group offers more than home encounters against established African clubs. Their trips to Tanzania and South Africa will provide rare opportunities for a Cameroonian club to compete on those grounds in continental competition.

Facing Simba in Tanzania and Orlando Pirates in South Africa will test the team's ability to adapt to different football environments, atmospheres and playing conditions. For Richard Towa, the assignment represents a major examination of his technical leadership.

Having guided Colombe to the group stage, the coach now has the opportunity to take the club further and make its maiden campaign memorable.