CAF Champions League: Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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.<ref>{{Cite web|title|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup64.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=5 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705155836/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup64.html|url-status=live |
Established in 1964 as the '''''African Cup of Champions Clubs''''', the first team to lift the trophy was [[Cameroon]]ian team [[Oryx Douala]] who beat [[Stade Malien]] of [[Mali]] 2–1 in a one-off final.<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1964/65|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup64.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=5 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705155836/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup64.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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⚫ | The 1966 edition introduced the two-legged 'home and away' final, which saw another Malian team [[AS Real Bamako]] take on [[Stade d'Abidjan]] of [[Ivory Coast]]. Real Bamako won the home leg 3–1 but it all came apart for them in the away game in Abidjan as the Ivorians went on to win 4–1 to take the title 5–4 on aggregate.<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1966|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup66.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=1 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801234931/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup66.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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[[File:Ali Abo Gresha.jpg|thumb|[[Ali Abo Gresha]], top scorer and winner of the 1969 edition with [[Ismaily SC|Ismaily]]|150px]] |
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⚫ | The |
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In 1967 when [[Asante Kotoko S.C.|Asante Kotoko]] of Ghana met [[TP Mazembe]] of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (or the DRC for short), both matches ended in draws (1–1 and 2–2 respectively). CAF arranged a play-off, but Kotoko failed to appear<ref>{{cite web|title=Asante Kotoko, the great porcupines of Africa|url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/club=1884681/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106153914/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/club=1884681/|archive-date=6 January 2014|website=[[FIFA|FIFA.com]]|access-date=23 June 2013}}</ref> and the title was handed to Mazembe, who went on to win the title again the following year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1967|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup67.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=26 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726222351/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup67.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
In 1967 when [[Asante Kotoko S.C.|Asante Kotoko]] of Ghana met [[TP Mazembe]] of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (or the DRC for short), both matches ended in draws (1–1 and 2–2 respectively). CAF arranged a play-off, but Kotoko failed to appear<ref>{{cite web|title=Asante Kotoko, the great porcupines of Africa|url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/club=1884681/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106153914/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/club=1884681/|archive-date=6 January 2014|website=[[FIFA|FIFA.com]]|access-date=23 June 2013}}</ref> and the title was handed to Mazembe, who went on to win the title again the following year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1967|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup67.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=26 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726222351/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup67.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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The 1970s saw a remarkable rise in the fortunes of Cameroonian club football, which created the platform of success enjoyed by [[Cameroon]]ian football at international level today. |
The 1970s saw a remarkable rise in the fortunes of Cameroonian club football, which created the platform of success enjoyed by [[Cameroon]]ian football at international level today. |
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[[File:Al_Ahly_1982_(2).jpg|alt=Al_Ahly_1982_(2)|thumb|[[Al Ahly SC|Al Ahly]], winners of the 1982 edition]] |
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[[File:Zamalek_SC_won_the_first_African_title.jpg|alt=Zamalek_SC_won_the_first_African_title|thumb|[[Zamalek SC|Zamalek]], winners of the 1984 edition]] |
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Between 1971 and 1980 Cameroonian teams won the cup four times, with [[Canon Yaoundé]] taking three titles (1971,<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1971|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup71.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222344/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup71.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 1978<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1978|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup78.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222354/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup78.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and 1980<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1980|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup80.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222346/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup80.html|url-status=live}}</ref>) and [[Union Douala|US Douala]] lifting the cup in 1979. In between the Cameroonian victories the honor was shared with another team enjoying a golden age, Guinean side [[Hafia Football Club|Hafia Conakry]], who won it three times during this period (1972,<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1972|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup72.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=25 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225014623/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup72.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 1975<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1975|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup75.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222348/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup75.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and 1977<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1977|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup77.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222351/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup77.html|url-status=live}}</ref>) |
Between 1971 and 1980 Cameroonian teams won the cup four times, with [[Canon Yaoundé]] taking three titles (1971,<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1971|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup71.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222344/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup71.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 1978<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1978|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup78.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222354/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup78.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and 1980<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1980|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup80.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222346/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup80.html|url-status=live}}</ref>) and [[Union Douala|US Douala]] lifting the cup in 1979. In between the Cameroonian victories the honor was shared with another team enjoying a golden age, Guinean side [[Hafia Football Club|Hafia Conakry]], who won it three times during this period (1972,<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1972|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup72.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=25 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225014623/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup72.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 1975<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1975|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup75.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222348/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup75.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and 1977<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1977|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup77.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814222351/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup77.html|url-status=live}}</ref>) |
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Apart from the introduction of the [[away goals rule]], very little changed in this competition until 1997, when CAF under [[Issa Hayatou]] took the bold step to follow the lead established a few years earlier by UEFA by creating a league/group stage in the tournament and changing the name to the '''CAF Champions League''' (in line with UEFA's [[UEFA Champions League|own Champions League]]). CAF also introduced prize money for participants for the first time with the initial offering of US$1 million to the winners and US$750,000 to the runners-up, making the rebranded competition the richest African club competition at the time. |
Apart from the introduction of the [[away goals rule]], very little changed in this competition until 1997, when CAF under [[Issa Hayatou]] took the bold step to follow the lead established a few years earlier by UEFA by creating a league/group stage in the tournament and changing the name to the '''CAF Champions League''' (in line with UEFA's [[UEFA Champions League|own Champions League]]). CAF also introduced prize money for participants for the first time with the initial offering of US$1 million to the winners and US$750,000 to the runners-up, making the rebranded competition the richest African club competition at the time. |
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In the new format, the league champions of the respective CAF member countries go through a series of qualification rounds until a round of 16 stage. The 8 winners are then drawn into two groups of 4 teams each, with each team playing each other on a home and away basis. At the end of the league stage, the top team in each group met in the final, in two-legged games (home and away). |
In the new format, the league champions of the respective CAF member countries go through a series of qualification rounds until a round of 16 stage. The 8 winners are then drawn into two groups of 4 teams each, with each team playing each other on a home and away basis. At the end of the league stage, the top team in each group met in the final, in two-legged games (home and away). In [[2001 CAF Champions League|the 2001 season]], the CAF introduced the semi-final stage after group stage, then the top two teams in each group would meet in the semi-finals, with the winners going through to contest the final. |
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[[File:The_football_team_of_Zamalek_club_that_won_the_last_CAF_Champions_League_in_2002.jpg|alt=The_football_team_of_Zamalek_club_that_won_the_last_CAF_Champions_League_in_2002|thumb|Zamalek, winners of the 2002 edition]] |
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Beginning with [[2009 CAF Champions League|the 2009 season]], the prize money increased to $1.5 million for the champions and $1 million for the runner-ups. Since the competition rebranded in 1997, teams from North Africa have come to dominate the competition and its records. Morocco's [[Raja CA|Raja Casablanca]] won two of the first three editions,<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1997|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup97.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=6 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206051022/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup97.html|url-status=live}}</ref> but Al Ahly became the most successful team, winning the [[2001 CAF Champions League|2001]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2001|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup01.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=31 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731203601/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup01.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[2005 CAF Champions League|2005]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2005|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup05.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=24 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220724105144/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup05.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[2006 CAF Champions League|2006]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2006|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup06.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=24 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220724105150/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup06.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[2008 CAF Champions League|2008]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2008|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup08.html|access-date=2023-02-02|archive-date=2022-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730154317/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup08.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[2012 CAF Champions League|2012]] editions,<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2012|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup2012.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=29 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929172906/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup2012.html|url-status=live}}</ref> while [[Zamalek SC|Zamalek]] managed to be champions in [[2002 CAF Champions League|2002]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2002|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup02.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=21 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121114644/http://rsssf.com/tablesa/afcup02.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Tunisian teams broke into the winners' circle with [[Étoile Sportive du Sahel|Étoile du Sahel]] winning [[2007 CAF Champions League|the 2007 edition]] after being a losing finalist in [[2004 CAF Champions League|2004]] and [[2005 CAF Champions League|2005]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2007|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup07.html|access-date=9 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=29 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929164127/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup07.html|url-status=live}}</ref> For its part, [[Espérance Sportive de Tunis|Espérance de Tunis]] achieved its second continental title in [[2011 CAF Champions League|2011]] after having lost in the finals in the [[1999 CAF Champions League|1999]], [[2000 CAF Champions League|2000]], [[2010 CAF Champions League|2010]] and [[2012 CAF Champions League|2012]] editions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2011|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup2011.html|access-date=10 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=28 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128143205/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup2011.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In [[2001 CAF Champions League|the 2001 season]], the CAF introduced the semi-final stage after group stage, then the top two teams in each group would meet in the semi-finals, with the winners going through to contest the final. |
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Despite the clear dominance of North African teams, Nigerian club [[Enyimba F.C.|Enyimba]] won their first two titles back-to-back in [[2003 CAF Champions League|2003]] and [[2004 CAF Champions League|2004]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2003|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup03.html|access-date=10 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=23 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923155509/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup03.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2004|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup04.html|access-date=10 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=7 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007230553/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup04.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[ASEC Mimosas]] from Ivory Coast and [[Accra Hearts of Oak S.C.|Accra Hearts of Oak]] from Ghana added two championships for West Africa. In [[2010 CAF Champions League|2010]], [[TP Mazembe]] from [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|the DRC]] became the first club to repeat as champions on two occasions, with the first pair of wins arriving in [[1967 African Cup of Champions Clubs|1967]] and [[1968 African Cup of Champions Clubs|1968]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1967|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup67.html|access-date=10 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=26 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726222351/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup67.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 1968|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup68.html|access-date=10 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=13 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813134343/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup68.html|url-status=live}}</ref> before repeating the feat again in [[2009 CAF Champions League|2009]] and [[2010 CAF Champions League|2010]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2009|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup09.html|access-date=10 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=24 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924221319/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup09.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=African Club Competitions 2010|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup2010.html|access-date=10 February 2022|website=[[RSSSF]]|archive-date=4 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804050202/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup2010.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, the group phase was expanded from 2 groups of 4 teams to 4 groups of 16, with the automatic addition of the quarter-finals stage.<ref>{{cite web|date=11 May 2016|title=16 Clubs for Group Phase of CC and CL effective 2017|url=https://www.cafonline.com/news/16-clubs-for-group-phase-of-cc-and-cl-effective-2017/|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=30 May 2016|title=New adopted format for Club Competitions|url=https://www.cafonline.com/news/new-adopted-format-for-club-competitions/|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=20 March 2018|title=Draw Procedures for Interclubs Group Phase|url=https://www.cafonline.com/caf-champions-league/news/draw-procedures-for-interclubs-group-phase/|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=23 May 2018}}</ref> |
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The [[2020–21 CAF Champions League|2020–21 season]] was played behind closed doors due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Africa]] in line with [[impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football|global football leagues and competitions]]. Nevertheless, Al Ahly faced [[sports rivalry|bitter rivals]] [[Zamalek SC|Zamalek]] in [[2020 CAF Champions League final|an-all Egyptian final]] (the first time two clubs from the same country compete in any final in the competition's history),<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 November 2020|title=Zamalek v Al Ahly - Head to Head in CAF Champions League|url=https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/news/zamalek-v-al-ahly-head-to-head-in-caf-champions-league|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211010103/https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/news/zamalek-v-al-ahly-head-to-head-in-caf-champions-league|archive-date=11 February 2022|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=10 February 2022}}</ref> with the former emerging victorious and winning its ninth title.<ref>{{Cite web|date=27 November 2020|title=Ahly down Zamalek to win record extending ninth Champions League crown|url=https://www.cafonline.com/news/ahly-down-zamalek-to-win-record-extending-ninth-champions-league-crown|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211010105/https://www.cafonline.com/news-center/news/ahly-down-zamalek-to-win-record-extending-ninth-champions-league-crown|archive-date=11 February 2022|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=10 February 2022}}</ref> Al Ahly [[2021 CAF Champions League final|successfully defended their title for a record-extending 10th time]] the following season by beating 10-men [[Kaizer Chiefs F.C.|Kaizer Chiefs]] of South Africa,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Al Ahly secure 'Al Ashra' with victory over 10-man Chiefs|url=https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/2021/news/al-ahly-secure-al-ashra-with-victory-over-10-man-chiefs|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=10 February 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210193517/https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/2021/news/al-ahly-secure-al-ashra-with-victory-over-10-man-chiefs|archive-date=10 February 2022}}</ref> but were unable to secure a 3rd consecutive title in a row and 11th title [[2022 CAF Champions League final|in 2022]] as they were defeated 2–0 by Moroccan club [[Wydad AC]] who instead captured their 3rd title.<ref>{{cite web|date=30 May 2022|title=El Moutaraji double delivers third TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title to Wydad|url=https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/news/el-moutaraji-double-delivers-third-totalenergies-caf-champions-league-title-to-w|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=30 June 2022}}</ref> With a return to [[two-legged tie|two-legged]] finals after a 24-month hiatus owing to the pandemic, Al Ahly roared back, got their revenge [[2022–23 CAF Champions League|the following season]] and wrestled the title back from Wydad, thus claiming their 11th title [[2023 CAF Champions League final|in 2023]] with a 3–2 aggregate win thanks to |
The [[2020–21 CAF Champions League|2020–21 season]] was played behind closed doors due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Africa]] in line with [[impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football|global football leagues and competitions]]. Nevertheless, Al Ahly faced [[sports rivalry|bitter rivals]] [[Zamalek SC|Zamalek]] in [[2020 CAF Champions League final|an-all Egyptian final]] (the first time two clubs from the same country compete in any final in the competition's history),<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 November 2020|title=Zamalek v Al Ahly - Head to Head in CAF Champions League|url=https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/news/zamalek-v-al-ahly-head-to-head-in-caf-champions-league|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211010103/https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/news/zamalek-v-al-ahly-head-to-head-in-caf-champions-league|archive-date=11 February 2022|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=10 February 2022}}</ref> with the former emerging victorious and winning its ninth title.<ref>{{Cite web|date=27 November 2020|title=Ahly down Zamalek to win record extending ninth Champions League crown|url=https://www.cafonline.com/news/ahly-down-zamalek-to-win-record-extending-ninth-champions-league-crown|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211010105/https://www.cafonline.com/news-center/news/ahly-down-zamalek-to-win-record-extending-ninth-champions-league-crown|archive-date=11 February 2022|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=10 February 2022}}</ref> Al Ahly [[2021 CAF Champions League final|successfully defended their title for a record-extending 10th time]] the following season by beating 10-men [[Kaizer Chiefs F.C.|Kaizer Chiefs]] of South Africa,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Al Ahly secure 'Al Ashra' with victory over 10-man Chiefs|url=https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/2021/news/al-ahly-secure-al-ashra-with-victory-over-10-man-chiefs|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=10 February 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210193517/https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/2021/news/al-ahly-secure-al-ashra-with-victory-over-10-man-chiefs|archive-date=10 February 2022}}</ref> but were unable to secure a 3rd consecutive title in a row and 11th title [[2022 CAF Champions League final|in 2022]] as they were defeated 2–0 by Moroccan club [[Wydad AC]] who instead captured their 3rd title.<ref>{{cite web|date=30 May 2022|title=El Moutaraji double delivers third TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title to Wydad|url=https://www.cafonline.com/total-caf-champions-league/news/el-moutaraji-double-delivers-third-totalenergies-caf-champions-league-title-to-w|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=30 June 2022}}</ref> With a return to [[two-legged tie|two-legged]] finals after a 24-month hiatus owing to the pandemic, Al Ahly roared back, got their revenge [[2022–23 CAF Champions League|the following season]] and wrestled the title back from Wydad, thus claiming their 11th title [[2023 CAF Champions League final|in 2023]] with a 3–2 aggregate win thanks to forward Mohamed Abdelmoneim's tie-breaking goal<ref>{{cite web|date=11 June 2023|title=Abdelmonem goal hands Ahly record extending 11th TotalEnergies CAF CL title|url=https://www.cafonline.com/caf-champions-league/news/abdelmonem-goal-hands-ahly-record-extending-11th-totalenergies-caf-cl-title/|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=13 June 2023}}</ref> and successfully defended it for the second time in the space of half a decade (5 years) [[2024 CAF Champions League final|in 2024]] for a record extending 12th title with a 1–0 aggregate win over Tunisia's Esperance.<ref>{{cite web|date=25 May 2024|title=Ahly crowned champions of Africa for record-extending 12th title|url=https://www.cafonline.com/caf-champions-league/news/ahly-crowned-champions-of-africa-for-record-extending-12th-title/|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=1 June 2024}}</ref> |
||
With the introduction of the [[Africa Football League]] in the 2023–24 season, CAF plans to keep the Champions League, as the new competition will not be its replacement.<ref name="AfFL">{{cite news|date=13 July 2023|title=New African Football League to start on Oct. 20, says Infantino|url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/infantino-reveals-new-african-football-league-start-oct-20-2023-07-13/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713170551/https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/infantino-reveals-new-african-football-league-start-oct-20-2023-07-13/|archive-date=13 July 2023|work=[[Reuters]]|publisher=[[Thomson Reuters]]|access-date=13 July 2023}}</ref> However, media reports speculate that CAF could potentially eliminate the group phase and have the competition exclusively made up of two-legged knockout matchups, as per the original format of the African Cup of Champions Clubs era from 1964 to 1996.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gleeson|first=Mark|date=9 August 2022|title=Africa to announce $100-milion Super League plans on Wednesday|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/africa-announce-100-milion-super-league-plans-wednesday-2022-08-09/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810012751/https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/africa-announce-100-milion-super-league-plans-wednesday-2022-08-09/|archive-date=10 August 2022|website=[[Reuters]]|access-date=10 August 2022}}</ref> |
With the introduction of the [[Africa Football League]] in the 2023–24 season, CAF plans to keep the Champions League, as the new competition will not be its replacement.<ref name="AfFL">{{cite news|date=13 July 2023|title=New African Football League to start on Oct. 20, says Infantino|url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/infantino-reveals-new-african-football-league-start-oct-20-2023-07-13/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713170551/https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/infantino-reveals-new-african-football-league-start-oct-20-2023-07-13/|archive-date=13 July 2023|work=[[Reuters]]|publisher=[[Thomson Reuters]]|access-date=13 July 2023}}</ref> However, media reports speculate that CAF could potentially eliminate the group phase and have the competition exclusively made up of two-legged knockout matchups, as per the original format of the African Cup of Champions Clubs era from 1964 to 1996.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gleeson|first=Mark|date=9 August 2022|title=Africa to announce $100-milion Super League plans on Wednesday|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/africa-announce-100-milion-super-league-plans-wednesday-2022-08-09/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810012751/https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/africa-announce-100-milion-super-league-plans-wednesday-2022-08-09/|archive-date=10 August 2022|website=[[Reuters]]|access-date=10 August 2022}}</ref> |
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===2023–present=== |
===2023–present=== |
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On |
On 16 Aug 2024, CAF announced an increase in the prize money to be shared between the 16 group stage clubs including preliminary stages teams, which is the latest tranche, as follows:<ref>{{cite web|date=16 Aug 2024|title=CAF's USD 50,000 Financial Commitment to each Club in the Preliminary Stages a shot in the arm for African Club Football |url=https://www.cafonline.com/caf-champions-league/news/caf-s-usd-50-000-financial-commitment-to-each-club-in-the-preliminary-stages-a-shot-in-the-arm-for-african-club-football/|website=[[Confederation of African Football|CAFOnline.com]]|access-date=23 Aug 2024}}</ref> |
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{| Class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" style="font-size: 95%" |
{| Class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" style="font-size: 95%" |
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|4th in group stage || align=right| US$700,000 |
|4th in group stage || align=right| US$700,000 |
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|Preliminary Stages || align=right|US$50,000 |
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|{{flag|Algeria}} |
|{{flag|Algeria}} |
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|[[Public Establishment of Television|EPTV]] |
|[[Public Establishment of Television|EPTV]] (Only Algeria) |
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|- |
|- |
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|{{flag|ASEAN}} |
|{{flag|ASEAN}} |
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|[[beIN Sports]] |
|[[beIN Sports]] |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
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|{{flag|Benin}} |
|{{flag|Benin}} |
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|[[ORTB]] |
|[[ORTB]] |
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⚫ | |||
|{{flag|Burkina Faso}} |
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⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
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|{{flag|Europe}} |
|{{flag|Europe}} |
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|[[Sportfive]] |
|[[Sportfive]] |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
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|{{flag|France}} |
|{{flag|France}} |
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|[[beIN Sports (France)|beIN Sports]] |
|[[beIN Sports (France)|beIN Sports]] |
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|- |
|- |
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|{{flag| |
|{{flag|Ghana}} |
||
⚫ | |{{ubl|[[GTV (Ghana)|GTV Sports+]]|[[StarTimes]]<ref>{{cite web|date=8 February 2022|title=StarTimes acquires broadcast rights of CAF Inter-Club competitions|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/sports/sports-news/startimes-acquires-broadcast-rights-of-caf-inter-club-competitions.html|website=Graphic Online|access-date=8 May 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214221920/https://www.graphic.com.gh/sports/sports-news/startimes-acquires-broadcast-rights-of-caf-inter-club-competitions.html|archive-date=14 February 2022}}</ref>}} |
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|[[Latin America]] |
|[[Latin America]] |
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|{{flag|Nigeria}} |
|{{flag|Nigeria}} |
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|{{ubl|[[SuperSport (South African broadcaster)|SuperSport]]}} |
|{{ubl|[[SuperSport (South African broadcaster)|SuperSport]]}} |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |{{ubl|[[GTV (Ghana)|GTV Sports+]]|[[StarTimes]]<ref>{{cite web|date=8 February 2022|title=StarTimes acquires broadcast rights of CAF Inter-Club competitions|url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/sports/sports-news/startimes-acquires-broadcast-rights-of-caf-inter-club-competitions.html|website=Graphic Online|access-date=8 May 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214221920/https://www.graphic.com.gh/sports/sports-news/startimes-acquires-broadcast-rights-of-caf-inter-club-competitions.html|archive-date=14 February 2022}}</ref>}} |
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|{{flagicon|Arab League}} [[MENA]] |
|{{flagicon|Arab League}} [[MENA]] |
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|[[East Africa]] |
|[[East Africa]] |
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|{{ubl|[[TVZ]]|[[Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation|ZBC]]}} |
|{{ubl|[[ZBC TV (Zanzibar)|TVZ]]|[[Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation|ZBC]]}} |
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{{small div| |
{{small div| |
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* In between 2020 and 2022, the final was played under a single match. |
* In 1965 and between 2020 and 2022, the final was played under a single match. |
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* In 1967 and 1971, the winner was defined after playing a third match. |
* In 1967 and 1971, the winner was defined after playing a third match. |
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;Keys |
;Keys |
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*{{ |
*{{color box|#d0f0c0|border=silver}} Defined after a [[Replay (sports)#Association football|replay]] |
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*{{ |
*{{color box|#ffff99|border=silver}} Defined according to the [[Away goals rule|away goals]] |
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*{{ |
*{{color box|#fbceb1|border=silver}} Defined after [[Overtime (sports)#Association football|extra time]] in the second leg |
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*{{ |
*{{color box|#cedff2|border=silver}} Defined on [[penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalty shoot-out]] in the second leg |
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}} |
}} |
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! colspan=9| African Cup of Champions Clubs |
! colspan=9| African Cup of Champions Clubs |
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|- |
|- |
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| [[ |
| [[1964–65 African Cup of Champions Clubs|1965]] || {{flagicon|CMR|1961}} '''[[Oryx Douala]]''' || colspan=3|{{center|2–1}} || {{flagicon|MLI}} [[Stade Malien]] || [[Accra Sports Stadium|Accra Stadium]], [[Accra]] || colspan=2|{{center|—}} |
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⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[1966 African Cup of Champions Clubs|1966]] || {{flagicon|MLI}} [[AS Real Bamako|Real Bamako]] || {{center|3–1}} || bgcolor=#fbceb1|{{center|1–4}} || {{center|4–5}} || {{flagicon|CIV}} '''[[Stade d'Abidjan|Stade Abidjan]]''' || [[Stade Municipal de Bamako|Municipal]], [[Bamako]] || [[Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny|F. Houphouët-Boigny]], [[Abidjan]] || {{center|—}} |
| [[1966 African Cup of Champions Clubs|1966]] || {{flagicon|MLI}} [[AS Real Bamako|Real Bamako]] || {{center|3–1}} || bgcolor=#fbceb1|{{center|1–4}} || {{center|4–5}} || {{flagicon|CIV}} '''[[Stade d'Abidjan|Stade Abidjan]]''' || [[Stade Municipal de Bamako|Municipal]], [[Bamako]] || [[Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny|F. Houphouët-Boigny]], [[Abidjan]] || {{center|—}} |
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Line 388: | Line 386: | ||
| [[2022–23 CAF Champions League|2023]] || {{flagicon|EGY}} '''[[Al Ahly SC|Al Ahly]]''' || {{center|2–1}} || {{center|1–1}} || {{center|3–2}} || {{flagicon|MAR}} [[Wydad AC]] || [[Cairo International Stadium|Cairo International]], [[Cairo]] || [[Stade Mohamed V|Mohamed V]], [[Casablanca]] || rowspan=1|{{center|—}} |
| [[2022–23 CAF Champions League|2023]] || {{flagicon|EGY}} '''[[Al Ahly SC|Al Ahly]]''' || {{center|2–1}} || {{center|1–1}} || {{center|3–2}} || {{flagicon|MAR}} [[Wydad AC]] || [[Cairo International Stadium|Cairo International]], [[Cairo]] || [[Stade Mohamed V|Mohamed V]], [[Casablanca]] || rowspan=1|{{center|—}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[2023–24 CAF Champions League|2024]] || {{flagicon| |
| [[2023–24 CAF Champions League|2024]] || {{flagicon|EGY}} '''[[Al Ahly SC|Al Ahly]]'''|| {{center|0–0}} || {{center|1–0}}|| {{center|1-0}}|| {{flagicon|TUN}} ES Tunis || [[Hammadi Agrebi Stadium|Hammadi Agrebi]], [[Tunis]] || [[Cairo International Stadium|Cairo International]], [[Cairo]] || rowspan=1|{{center|—}} |
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|} |
|} |
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|- |
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!scope="row"|{{fba|CMR}} |
!scope="row"|{{fba|CMR}} |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|align=center|5 |
|align=center|5 |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
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!scope="row"|{{fba|GHA}} |
!scope="row"|{{fba|GHA}} |
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!scope="row"|{{fba|MLI}} |
!scope="row"|{{fba|MLI}} |
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|align=center|0 |
|align=center|0 |
||
|align=center| |
|align=center|2 |
||
|align=center| |
|align=center|2 |
||
|- |
|- |
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!scope="row"|{{fba|UGA}} |
!scope="row"|{{fba|UGA}} |
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|[[UNIFFAC]] ([[Central Africa]]) |
|[[UNIFFAC]] ([[Central Africa]]) |
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|[[TP Mazembe]] (5), [[Canon Yaoundé]] (3), [[CARA Brazzaville]] (1), [[Union Douala]] (1), [[AS Vita Club|Vita Club]] (1) |
|[[TP Mazembe]] (5), [[Canon Yaoundé]] (3), [[CARA Brazzaville]] (1), [[Oryx Douala]] (1), [[Union Douala]] (1), [[AS Vita Club|Vita Club]] (1) |
||
|align=center| |
|align=center| 12 |
||
|- |
|- |
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|[[West African Football Union|WAFU]] ([[West Africa]]) |
|[[West African Football Union|WAFU]] ([[West Africa]]) |
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!scope=col colspan=4|African Cup of Champions Clubs era |
!scope=col colspan=4|African Cup of Champions Clubs era |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|align=center|[[ |
|align=center|[[1964–65 African Cup of Champions Clubs|1965]]|| rowspan=2|{{flagicon|MLI}} [[Salif Keïta (Malian footballer)|Salif Keïta]]|| rowspan=2|{{flagicon|MLI}} [[Stade Malien]]||align=center|3 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|align=center|[[1966 African Cup of Champions Clubs|1966]]||align=center|'''14''' |
|align=center|[[1966 African Cup of Champions Clubs|1966]]||align=center|'''14''' |
Latest revision as of 20:12, 15 November 2024
Organising body | CAF |
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Founded | 1964 (rebranded in 1997) |
Region | Africa |
Number of teams |
|
Qualifier for | |
Related competitions | CAF Confederation Cup |
Current champions | Al Ahly (12th title) |
Most successful club(s) | Al Ahly (12 titles) |
Television broadcasters | List of broadcasters |
Website | Official website |
2024–25 CAF Champions League |
The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League[1] and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual club football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and contested by top-division African clubs, deciding the competition winners through a round robin group stage to qualify for a double-legged knockout stage, and then a home and away final. It is the most prestigious club competition in African football.
The winner of the each season of the competition earns a berth for the FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament contested between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations, faces the winner of the CAF Confederation Cup in the following season's CAF Super Cup and from 2024 onwards, along with the next 4 best teams, a place in the new FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Clubs that finish as runners-up their national leagues, having not qualified for the Champions League, are eligible for the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup.
Egyptian clubs have the highest number of victories (18 titles), followed by Morocco with 7. Cameroon, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco have the largest number of winning teams, with three clubs from each having won the title. The competition has been won by 26 clubs, 12 of which have won it more than once. Al Ahly is the most successful club in the competition's history, having it a record 12 times, including the most recent season and are the current African champions, having beaten Espérance de Tunis 1–0 on aggregate in the 2024 final.
History
[edit]Established in 1964 as the African Cup of Champions Clubs, the first team to lift the trophy was Cameroonian team Oryx Douala who beat Stade Malien of Mali 2–1 in a one-off final.[2]
The 1966 edition introduced the two-legged 'home and away' final, which saw another Malian team AS Real Bamako take on Stade d'Abidjan of Ivory Coast. Real Bamako won the home leg 3–1 but it all came apart for them in the away game in Abidjan as the Ivorians went on to win 4–1 to take the title 5–4 on aggregate.[3]
In 1967 when Asante Kotoko of Ghana met TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (or the DRC for short), both matches ended in draws (1–1 and 2–2 respectively). CAF arranged a play-off, but Kotoko failed to appear[4] and the title was handed to Mazembe, who went on to win the title again the following year.[5]
However, the Ghanaians got their revenge in 1970, when Kotoko and Mazembe once again met in the final. Once again, the first game ended 1–1, but against expectation, the Ghanaians ran out 2–1 winners in their away game to lift the title that had eluded them three years earlier.[6]
The 1970s saw a remarkable rise in the fortunes of Cameroonian club football, which created the platform of success enjoyed by Cameroonian football at international level today.
Between 1971 and 1980 Cameroonian teams won the cup four times, with Canon Yaoundé taking three titles (1971,[7] 1978[8] and 1980[9]) and US Douala lifting the cup in 1979. In between the Cameroonian victories the honor was shared with another team enjoying a golden age, Guinean side Hafia Conakry, who won it three times during this period (1972,[10] 1975[11] and 1977[12])
1997–present: Change of name and rise in reputation
[edit]Apart from the introduction of the away goals rule, very little changed in this competition until 1997, when CAF under Issa Hayatou took the bold step to follow the lead established a few years earlier by UEFA by creating a league/group stage in the tournament and changing the name to the CAF Champions League (in line with UEFA's own Champions League). CAF also introduced prize money for participants for the first time with the initial offering of US$1 million to the winners and US$750,000 to the runners-up, making the rebranded competition the richest African club competition at the time.
In the new format, the league champions of the respective CAF member countries go through a series of qualification rounds until a round of 16 stage. The 8 winners are then drawn into two groups of 4 teams each, with each team playing each other on a home and away basis. At the end of the league stage, the top team in each group met in the final, in two-legged games (home and away). In the 2001 season, the CAF introduced the semi-final stage after group stage, then the top two teams in each group would meet in the semi-finals, with the winners going through to contest the final.
Beginning with the 2009 season, the prize money increased to $1.5 million for the champions and $1 million for the runner-ups. Since the competition rebranded in 1997, teams from North Africa have come to dominate the competition and its records. Morocco's Raja Casablanca won two of the first three editions,[13] but Al Ahly became the most successful team, winning the 2001,[14] 2005,[15] 2006,[16] 2008[17] and 2012 editions,[18] while Zamalek managed to be champions in 2002.[19] Tunisian teams broke into the winners' circle with Étoile du Sahel winning the 2007 edition after being a losing finalist in 2004 and 2005.[20] For its part, Espérance de Tunis achieved its second continental title in 2011 after having lost in the finals in the 1999, 2000, 2010 and 2012 editions.[21]
Despite the clear dominance of North African teams, Nigerian club Enyimba won their first two titles back-to-back in 2003 and 2004.[22][23] ASEC Mimosas from Ivory Coast and Accra Hearts of Oak from Ghana added two championships for West Africa. In 2010, TP Mazembe from the DRC became the first club to repeat as champions on two occasions, with the first pair of wins arriving in 1967 and 1968,[24][25] before repeating the feat again in 2009 and 2010.[26][27] In 2017, the group phase was expanded from 2 groups of 4 teams to 4 groups of 16, with the automatic addition of the quarter-finals stage.[28][29][30]
The 2020–21 season was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa in line with global football leagues and competitions. Nevertheless, Al Ahly faced bitter rivals Zamalek in an-all Egyptian final (the first time two clubs from the same country compete in any final in the competition's history),[31] with the former emerging victorious and winning its ninth title.[32] Al Ahly successfully defended their title for a record-extending 10th time the following season by beating 10-men Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa,[33] but were unable to secure a 3rd consecutive title in a row and 11th title in 2022 as they were defeated 2–0 by Moroccan club Wydad AC who instead captured their 3rd title.[34] With a return to two-legged finals after a 24-month hiatus owing to the pandemic, Al Ahly roared back, got their revenge the following season and wrestled the title back from Wydad, thus claiming their 11th title in 2023 with a 3–2 aggregate win thanks to forward Mohamed Abdelmoneim's tie-breaking goal[35] and successfully defended it for the second time in the space of half a decade (5 years) in 2024 for a record extending 12th title with a 1–0 aggregate win over Tunisia's Esperance.[36]
With the introduction of the Africa Football League in the 2023–24 season, CAF plans to keep the Champions League, as the new competition will not be its replacement.[37] However, media reports speculate that CAF could potentially eliminate the group phase and have the competition exclusively made up of two-legged knockout matchups, as per the original format of the African Cup of Champions Clubs era from 1964 to 1996.[38]
Structure and qualification
[edit]Qualification
[edit]The CAF Champions League is open to the winners of all CAF-affiliated national leagues, as well as the title holders from the previous season. From the 2004 season onward, with the merging of the CAF Cup and the African Cup Winners' Cup to create the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup, the runners-up of football leagues of the 12 highest-ranked countries also enter the tournament, making up a total of 64 in-competition teams. The 12 countries would be ranked based on the performance of their clubs in the previous 5 seasons/editions of the competition (the plain definition of the CAF 5-year ranking).[39]
The number of teams that each association enters into the CAF Champions League is determined annually through criteria as set by the CAF Competitions Committee.[40][41] The higher an association's ranking as determined by the criteria, the more teams represent the association in the Champions League, and the fewer qualification rounds the association's teams must compete in.
The CAF Champions League operates primarily as a knockout competition, with trim-down qualification rounds, a group stage, a two-legged knockout stage and a one-off final. At the start of the competition, the 64 qualified teams enter 2 qualification rounds: the preliminary stage and the first round. After the first qualifying round, the remaining teams are split into four groups of 4, whereas the teams each first-round winner vanquished transfer to the second qualification round of the Confederation Cup for hopes of group stage progression. The winners and runners-up of each group progress to the two-legged knockout stage for hopes of progression to a one-off final for a chance to lift the trophy for their member association.
Sponsorship
[edit]In October 2004, MTN contracted a four-year deal to sponsor CAF's competitions worth US$12.5 million, which at that time was the biggest sponsorship deal in African sporting history.[42]
In 2008, CAF put a value of €100 million for a comprehensive and long-term package of its competitions when it opened tenders for a new sponsor, which was scooped up by French telecommunications giant Orange through the signing of an eight-year deal the following year in July, whose terms were not disclosed.[43]
On 21 July 2016, French energy and petroleum giant, TotalEnergies[44] (at the time known as Total S.A.) secured an 8-year sponsorship package from CAF to support its competitions, including its main competition, the Africa Cup of Nations.[45][46]
Current Sponsors:
Title Sponsor | Official Sponsors | Former Sponsor | Ball Supplier |
---|---|---|---|
Prizes
[edit]Trophy and medals
[edit]Each year, the winning team is presented with the CAF Champions League, the current version of which has been awarded since the competition name change in 1997. Forty gold medals are presented to the competition winners and 40 silver medals to the runners-up.
1997–2008
[edit]Following the competition rebranding to its current name in 1997, CAF introduced prize money for the eight participants in group stage for the first time in an African club football competition. This first tranche lasted until 2008.
Final position |
Prize money |
---|---|
Champions | US$1,000,000 |
Runners-up | US$750,000 |
Semi-finalists | US$427,500 |
3rd in group stage | US$261,250 |
4th in group stage | US$190,000 |
2009–2016
[edit]CAF increased prize money to be shared between the group stage clubs, which was 8 at the time, as follows:[56]
Final position |
Prize money |
---|---|
Champions | US$1,500,000 |
Runners-up | US$1,000,000 |
Semi-finalists | US$700,000 |
3rd in group stage | US$500,000 |
4th in group stage | US$400,000 |
2017–2022
[edit]This third tranche of the prize money from CAF showed an increase to be shared between the group stage clubs, which increased to 16 from 2017 to date, as follows:[57][58][59][60]
Final position |
Prize money |
---|---|
Champions | US$2,500,000 |
Runners-up | US$1,250,000 |
Semi-finalists | US$875,000 |
Quarter-finalists | US$650,000 |
3rd in group stage | US$550,000 |
4th in group stage | US$550,000 |
* Note: National Associations receive an additional equivalent share of 5% for each amount awarded to clubs.
2023–present
[edit]On 16 Aug 2024, CAF announced an increase in the prize money to be shared between the 16 group stage clubs including preliminary stages teams, which is the latest tranche, as follows:[61]
Final position |
Prize money |
---|---|
Champions | US$4,000,000 |
Runners-up | US$2,000,000 |
Semi-finalists | US$1,200,000 |
Quarter-finalists | US$900,000 |
3rd in group stage | US$700,000 |
4th in group stage | US$700,000 |
Preliminary Stages | US$50,000 |
Broadcast coverage
[edit]Below are the current broadcast rights holders of this competition:[62]
Country/Region | Channels |
---|---|
Algeria | EPTV (Only Algeria) |
ASEAN | beIN Sports |
Benin | ORTB |
Burkina Faso | RTB |
Europe | Sportfive |
France | beIN Sports |
Ghana | |
Morocco | Arryadia |
Portugal | Sport TV |
Latin America | ESPN |
Nigeria | |
MENA | beIN Sports |
South Africa | [64] |
Western Balkans | Sport Klub |
United States | beIN Sports |
Sub-Saharan Africa |
|
East Africa |
Records and statistics
[edit]List of finals
[edit]- In 1965 and between 2020 and 2022, the final was played under a single match.
- In 1967 and 1971, the winner was defined after playing a third match.
- Keys
- Defined after a replay
- Defined according to the away goals
- Defined after extra time in the second leg
- Defined on penalty shoot-out in the second leg
- Notes
Performance by clubs
[edit]
Performance by nations
[edit]Nation | Winners | Runners-up | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Egypt | 18 | 10 | 28 |
Morocco | 7 | 4 | 11 |
Tunisia | 6 | 8 | 14 |
DR Congo | 6 | 6 | 12 |
Algeria | 5 | 2 | 7 |
Cameroon | 5 | 1 | 6 |
Ghana | 3 | 8 | 11 |
Guinea | 3 | 2 | 5 |
Nigeria | 2 | 5 | 7 |
South Africa | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Ivory Coast | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Congo | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Mali | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Uganda | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Sudan | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Togo | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Zambia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Zimbabwe | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Performances by region
[edit]Federation (Region) | Clubs | Titles |
---|---|---|
UNAF (North Africa) | Al Ahly (12), Zamalek (5), Espérance de Tunis (4), Raja CA (3), Wydad AC (3), ES Sétif (2), JS Kabylie (2), Étoile du Sahel (1), Ismaily (1), MC Alger (1), FAR Rabat (1), Club Africain (1) | 36 |
UNIFFAC (Central Africa) | TP Mazembe (5), Canon Yaoundé (3), CARA Brazzaville (1), Oryx Douala (1), Union Douala (1), Vita Club (1) | 12 |
WAFU (West Africa) | Hafia (3), Asante Kotoko (2), Enyimba (2), ASEC Mimosas (1), Hearts of Oak (1), Stade d'Abidjan (1) | 10 |
COSAFA (Southern Africa) | Orlando Pirates (1), Mamelodi Sundowns (1) | 2 |
CECAFA (East Africa) | 0 |
All-time table (Top 25 Clubs)
[edit]- As of 22 May 2023. All matches including qualifying were taken into account with a game decided by penalties counted as draw. No awarded/withdrawn games were counted.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Al Ahly (34) | 327 | 169 | 89 | 69 | 518 | 249 | +269 | 596 |
2 | Espérance de Tunis (28) | 276 | 144 | 76 | 56 | 440 | 229 | +211 | 508 |
3 | ASEC Mimosas (30) | 220 | 110 | 50 | 60 | 325 | 204 | +121 | 380 |
4 | Zamalek (26) | 217 | 105 | 49 | 63 | 324 | 202 | +122 | 364 |
5 | TP Mazembe (27) | 205 | 99 | 58 | 48 | 317 | 185 | +132 | 355 |
6 | Al Hilal (35) | 210 | 81 | 61 | 68 | 265 | 221 | +44 | 304 |
7 | Mamelodi Sundowns (16) | 142 | 76 | 38 | 28 | 246 | 126 | +120 | 266 |
8 | Wydad AC (15) | 150 | 71 | 37 | 42 | 217 | 121 | +96 | 250 |
9 | Raja CA (20) | 148 | 70 | 38 | 40 | 220 | 125 | +95 | 248 |
10 | Asante Kotoko (28) | 145 | 68 | 37 | 40 | 219 | 140 | +79 | 241 |
11 | Étoile du Sahel (15) | 127 | 64 | 29 | 34 | 173 | 107 | +66 | 221 |
12 | JS Kabylie (17) | 122 | 64 | 21 | 37 | 156 | 103 | +53 | 213 |
13 | AS Vita Club (22) | 128 | 55 | 30 | 43 | 185 | 147 | +38 | 195 |
14 | Al Merrikh (26) | 139 | 54 | 33 | 52 | 163 | 165 | −2 | 195 |
15 | Enyimba (12) | 107 | 55 | 19 | 33 | 186 | 101 | +85 | 184 |
16 | Hearts of Oak (19) | 111 | 54 | 21 | 36 | 167 | 138 | +29 | 183 |
17 | Petro de Luanda (21) | 120 | 50 | 33 | 37 | 177 | 144 | +33 | 183 |
18 | Dynamos (18) | 103 | 49 | 18 | 36 | 139 | 113 | +26 | 165 |
19 | Simba (20) | 109 | 47 | 19 | 43 | 147 | 131 | +16 | 160 |
20 | Nkana (15) | 89 | 45 | 23 | 21 | 137 | 85 | +52 | 158 |
21 | ES Sétif (12) | 96 | 41 | 27 | 28 | 148 | 106 | +42 | 150 |
22 | Coton Sport (18) | 106 | 42 | 22 | 42 | 124 | 113 | +11 | 148 |
23 | Ismaily (10) | 75 | 40 | 18 | 17 | 132 | 70 | +62 | 138 |
24 | Canon Yaoundé (13) | 79 | 40 | 17 | 22 | 120 | 87 | +33 | 137 |
25 | Africa Sports (21) | 88 | 40 | 17 | 31 | 128 | 99 | +29 | 137 |
* Number in parentheses show number of participations.
Top goalscorers
[edit]All-time top scorers
[edit]See also
[edit]- African Football League
- CAF Women's Champions League
- CAF Confederation Cup
- CAF Super Cup
- African Cup Winners' Cup
- CAF Cup
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