USM Alger first to reach Confederation Cup group stage after opponent withdraws

USM Alger has qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup group stage after Equatorial Guinea's The Panthers withdrew from the second preliminary round.

• The Confederation of African Football informed USM Alger of its opponent's withdrawal, cancelling both legs of the tie.
• The Panthers withdrew over financial constraints preventing them from completing the competition, the Algerian club stated.
• USM Alger awaits the remaining qualifiers before the group-stage draw scheduled for late October.
• Al Ahly beat Uganda's Kitara 2-1 while ZED drew 1-1 with Azam in first-leg preliminary matches.