The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently released its updated list of approved venues for the preliminary rounds of the 2025/26 Champions League and Confederation Cup.
However, the updated list is a significant blow to the Gabonese side FC 105 Libreville.
Zesco United’s opponents were hopeful of playing their first-leg home fixture at the Stade Rénovation in Franceville, but those hopes were dashed when CAF’s assessment revealed the stadium fails to meet the required international standards and was omitted from the list of acceptable venues.
The Ndola giants will contest the opening leg away on 19 September, though FC 105 will be forced to find a compliant neutral ground.
For the Zambian clubs, two venues— Levy Mwanawansa and Heroes Stadium- have been cleared to host the CAF games.
Zesco ready for FC 105
In an earlier reaction to the CAF Confederation Cup draw, Zesco United’s technical director, Honour Janza, described the matchup against FC 105 as a fair draw.
He emphasised the importance of solid preparation: “I think in all fairness we can say it’s a fair draw, but it’s up to us as Zesco United to prepare adequately,” Janza said.
“FC 105 are not just a mere club—they have a competitive league, and they are a good side. But we also have a good side, and if we focus and believe in ourselves, we can compete. … It is somehow favorable because our local league will help us gain match fitness and allow the new inclusions this season to gel.”
He also made a point of adapting to the conditions in Gabon: “We’ll also need to work on the mental side and prepare for the humid conditions in Gabon, which I know well from our 2012 AFCON triumph there. It’s manageable if the boys adapt well.”
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