CAF Champions League

Premier African club football competition

Football tournament

CAF Champions League

Organising body| CAF
Founded| 1964; 61 years ago (1964)
(rebranded in 1997)
Region| Africa
Number of teams|

* 16 (group stage)
* 68 (total)
* (from 56 associations)

Qualifier for|

* CAF Super Cup
* FIFA Club World Cup
* FIFA Intercontinental Cup

Related competitions| CAF Confederation Cup
Current champions|  Pyramids (1st title)
Most successful club(s)|  Al Ahly (12 titles)
Television broadcasters| List of broadcasters
Website| Official website
2025–26 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 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 (19 titles), followed by Morocco with 7. Egypt also has the largest number of winning teams, with four clubs 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. Pyramids FC are the current African champions, having beaten Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. 3–2 on aggregate in the 2025 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 attempted to establish a new competition to rival the CAF Champions League. However, the Africa Football League failed to generate the same level of popular enthusiasm and only lasted for a single edition. The CAF Champions League remains Africa's premier club competition, boasting the highest prize money on the continent.[37][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 two-legged 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 two-legged 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

|
|
|

* TotalEnergies[45]

* Orange[47]
* 1xBet[48]
* TikTok[49][50][51]
* QNET[52]

* Umbro[53][54]

* Puma[55]

## Prizes

[edit]

### Trophy and medals

[edit]

Official trophy

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. On May 22, 2025, CAF unveiled a striking new design for the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League trophy at TotalEnergies' Johannesburg headquarters.[56][57] Crafted in sleek silver with bold gold accents, the trophy features a golden sphere adorned with African motifs at its peak—symbolizing the ultimate triumph—while the alternating silver and gold lines reflect unity, rivalry, and competitive balance that define Africa’s premier club competition.[56][58] The update is part of CAF’s broader effort to modernize its competitions and enhance their appeal.

### 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:[59]

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:[60][61][62][63]

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:[64]

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:[65]

Country/Region  | Channels

|

Algeria | EPTV (Only Algeria)
ASEAN | beIN Sports
Benin | ORTB
Burkina Faso | RTB
Europe | Sportfive
France | beIN Sports
Ghana |

* GTV Sports+
* StarTimes[66]

Morocco | Arryadia
Mozambique |

* SuperSport

Portugal | Sport TV
Latin America | ESPN
Nigeria |

* SuperSport

MENA | beIN Sports
South Africa |

* SuperSport
* SABC Sport

[67]
Western Balkans | Sport Klub
United States | beIN Sports
Sub-Saharan Africa |

* Canal+
* SuperSport (selected matches)
* StarTimes (except South Africa)

East Africa |

* TVZ
* ZBC

Tanzania AZAM TV,TBC

## Records and statistics

[edit]

Main article: African Cup of Champions Clubs and CAF Champions League records and statistics

### List of finals

[edit]

Main article: List of African Cup of Champions Clubs and CAF Champions League finals

### Performance by club

[edit]

Performance in the African Cup and CAF Champions League by club

* v
* t
* e

Club  | Titles  | Runners-up  | Seasons won  | Seasons runner-up

|
|
|
|

Al Ahly | 12  | 5  | 1982, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 | 1983, 2007, 2017, 2018, 2022
Zamalek | 5  | 3  | 1984, 1986, 1993, 1996, 2002 | 1994, 2016, 2020
TP Mazembe | 5  | 2  | 1967, 1968, 2009, 2010, 2015 | 1969, 1970
ES Tunis | 4  | 5  | 1994, 2011, 2018, 2019 | 1999, 2000, 2010, 2012, 2024
Wydad AC | 3  | 3  | 1992, 2017, 2022 | 2011, 2019, 2023
Hafia FC | 3  | 2  | 1972, 1975, 1977 | 1976, 1978
Raja CA | 3  | 1  | 1989, 1997, 1999 | 2002
Canon Yaoundé | 3  | 0  | 1971, 1978, 1980 | —
Asante Kotoko | 2  | 5  | 1970, 1983 | 1967, 1971, 1973, 1982, 1993
JS Kabylie | 2  | 0  | 1981, 1990 | —
ES Sétif | 2  | 0  | 1988, 2014 | —
Enyimba | 2  | 0  | 2003, 2004 | —
Mamelodi Sundowns | 1  | 2  | 2016 | 2001, 2025
Vita Club | 1  | 2  | 1973 | 1981, 2014
Hearts of Oak | 1  | 2  | 2000 | 1977, 1979
ES Sahel | 1  | 2  | 2007 | 2004, 2005
Ismaily | 1  | 1  | 1969 | 2003
Orlando Pirates | 1  | 1  | 1995 | 2013
ASEC Mimosas | 1  | 1  | 1998 | 1995
Oryx Douala | 1  | 0  | 1965 | —
Stade d'Abidjan | 1  | 0  | 1966 | —
CARA Brazzaville | 1  | 0  | 1974 | —
MC Alger | 1  | 0  | 1976 | —
Union Douala | 1  | 0  | 1979 | —
AS FAR | 1  | 0  | 1985 | —
Club Africain | 1  | 0  | 1991 | —
Pyramids | 1  | 0  | 2025 | —
AS Bilima | 0  | 2  | —  | 1980, 1985
Al-Hilal | 0  | 2  | —  | 1987, 1992
Shooting Stars | 0  | 2  | —  | 1984, 1996
Heartland | 0  | 2  | —  | 1988, 2009
Stade Malien | 0  | 1  | —  | 1965
Real Bamako | 0  | 1  | —  | 1966
Étoile Filante du Togo | 0  | 1  | —  | 1968
Simba FC | 0  | 1  | —  | 1972
Ghazl Al-Mehalla | 0  | 1  | —  | 1974
Enugu Rangers | 0  | 1  | —  | 1975
Africa Sports | 0  | 1  | —  | 1986
MC Oran | 0  | 1  | —  | 1989
Nkana FC | 0  | 1  | —  | 1990
SC Villa | 0  | 1  | —  | 1991
Ashanti Gold | 0  | 1  | —  | 1997
Dynamos FC | 0  | 1  | —  | 1998
CS Sfaxien | 0  | 1  | —  | 2006
Coton Sport | 0  | 1  | —  | 2008
USM Alger | 0  | 1  | —  | 2015
Kaizer Chiefs | 0  | 1  | —  | 2021

### Performance by nation

[edit]

Performances in finals by nation  Nation  | Winners  | Runners-up  | Total

|
|
|

Egypt | 19 | 10  | 29
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  | 4  | 6
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), Pyramids (1)  | 37
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

### Top goalscorers

[edit]

Year | Footballer | Club | Goals

|
|
|

African Cup of Champions Clubs era
1965 |  Salif Keïta |  Stade Malien | 3
1966 | 14
1967 |

* Badawi Abdel Fattah
* Ahmed El-Qazzaz
* Osei Kofi
* Pierre Kalala
* Leonard Saidi
* Kamunda Tshinabu

* Al Olympi
* Al Olympi
* Asante Kotoko
* TP Englebert
* TP Englebert
* TP Englebert

| 2
1968 |  Pierre Kalala |  TP Englebert | 7
1969 |  Ali Abo Greisha |  Ismaily | 7
1970 |  Pierre Kalala |  TP Englebert | 4
1971 |  Cecil Jones Attuquayefio |  Accra Great Olympics | 6
1972 |  Godfrey Chitalu |  Kabwe Warriors | 13
1973 |  Chérif Souleymane |  Hafia FC | 5
1974 |  Paul Moukila |  CARA Brazzaville | 10
1975 |  N’Jo Léa |  Hafia FC | 4
1976 |  Abdesslem Bousri |  MC Alger | 5
1977 |  Mahmoud El Khatib |  Al Ahly | 4
1978 |

* Seydouba Bangoura
* Mayanga Maku

* Hafia FC
* AS Vita Club

| 2
1979 |  Ally Thuwen  |  Simba SC | 3
1980 |  Jean Manga Onguéné |  Canon Yaoundé | 9
1981 |  Mahmoud El Khatib |  Al Ahly | 6
1982
1983
1984 |  Felix Owolabi |  Shooting Stars | 5
1985 |  Mokhtar Chibani
Saâd Dahane
Abdellah Haidamou
Abderrazak Khairi |  GCR Mascara
FAR Rabat
FAR Rabat
FAR Rabat | 4
1986 |  Gamal Abdel Hamid |  Zamalek | 7
1987 |  Mahmoud El Khatib |  Al Ahly | 5
1988 |  Abdeslam Laghrissi |  FAR Rabat | 7
1989 |  Mourad Meziane |  MC Oran | 5
1990 |  Nacer Bouiche |  JS Kabylie | 7
1991 |  Faouzi Rouissi
Adel Sellimi |  Club Africain | 6
1992 |  Kenneth Malitoli |  Nkana | 6
1993 |  Ayman Mansour |  Zamalek | 5
1994 |  Anthony Nwaigwe |  Iwuanyanwu Nationale | 7
1995 |

* Kofi Deblah
* Sékou Bamba

* Obuasi Goldfields
* ASEC Mimosas

| 4
1996 |

* Ahmed El-Kass
* Ayman Mansour
* Tarek Mostafa
* Mohamed Sabry
* Julien Ndagano
* Skander Souayah

* Zamalek
* Zamalek
* Zamalek
* Zamalek
* APR FC
* CS Sfaxien

| 2
Champions League era
1997 |  Kossi Noutsoudje |  Obuasi Goldfields | 7
1998 |

* Aseged Tesfaye
* Reda Ereyahi

* Ethiopian Coffee
* Raja CA

| 6
1999 |  Hossam Hassan |  Al Ahly | 6
2000 |  Emmanuel Osei Kuffour |  Accra Hearts of Oak | 10
2001 |  Kapela Mbiyavanga |  Petro Atlético | 9
2002 |

* Ahmed Belal
* Antonin Koutouan
* Hicham Aboucherouane

* Al Ahly
* ASEC Mimosas
* Raja CA

| 7
2003 |  Dramane Traoré |  Ismaily | 8
2004 |  Mamadou Diallo |  USM Alger | 10
2005 |

* Mohamed Barakat
* Joetex Frimpong

* Al Ahly
* Enyimba

| 7
2006 |  Mohamed Aboutrika |  Al Ahly | 8
2007 |  Trésor Mputu |  TP Mazembe | 9
2008 |  Stephen Worgu |  Enyimba | 13
2009 |  Dioko Kaluyituka |  TP Mazembe | 8
2010 |  Michael Eneramo |  Espérance de Tunis | 8
2011 |  Edward Sadomba |  Al-Hilal | 14
2012 |  Emmanuel Clottey |  Berekum Chelsea | 12
2013 |  Alexis Yougouda Kada |  Coton Sport | 7
2014 |

* El Hedi Belameiri
* Haythem Jouini
* Ndombe Mubele
* Mrisho Ngasa

* ES Sétif
* Espérance de Tunis
* AS Vita Club
* Young Africans

| 6
2015 |

* Bakri Al-Madina
* Mbwana Samatta

* Al-Merrikh
* TP Mazembe

| 7
2016 |  Mfon Udoh |  Enyimba | 9
2017 |

* Taha Yassine Khenissi
* Saladin Said

* Espérance de Tunis
* Saint George

| 7
2018 |  Anice Badri |  Espérance de Tunis | 8
2018–19 |  Moataz Al-Mehdi |  Al-Nasr | 7
2019–20 |  Jackson Muleka |  TP Mazembe | 7
2020–21 |  Mohamed Sherif |  Al Ahly | 6
2021–22 |  Tiago Azulão |  Petro Atlético | 6
2022–23 |

* Mahmoud Kahraba
* Peter Shalulile

* Al Ahly
* Mamelodi Sundowns

| 6
2023–24 |  Sankara Karamoko |  ASEC Mimosas | 4
2024–25 |  Fiston Mayele |  Pyramids | 6

## See also

[edit]

* Football in Africa portal
* Association football portal

* African Football League
* CAF Women's Champions League
* CAF Confederation Cup
* CAF Super Cup
* African Cup Winners' Cup
* CAF Cup

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "CAF Sponsors". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
2. ^ "African Club Competitions 1964/65". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
3. ^ "African Club Competitions 1966". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
4. ^ "Asante Kotoko, the great porcupines of Africa". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
5. ^ "African Club Competitions 1967". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
6. ^ "African Club Competitions 1970". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
7. ^ "African Club Competitions 1971". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
8. ^ "African Club Competitions 1978". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
9. ^ "African Club Competitions 1980". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
10. ^ "African Club Competitions 1972". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
11. ^ "African Club Competitions 1975". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
12. ^ "African Club Competitions 1977". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
13. ^ "African Club Competitions 1997". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
14. ^ "African Club Competitions 2001". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
15. ^ "African Club Competitions 2005". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
16. ^ "African Club Competitions 2006". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
17. ^ "African Club Competitions 2008". Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
18. ^ "African Club Competitions 2012". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
19. ^ "African Club Competitions 2002". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
20. ^ "African Club Competitions 2007". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
21. ^ "African Club Competitions 2011". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
22. ^ "African Club Competitions 2003". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
23. ^ "African Club Competitions 2004". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
24. ^ "African Club Competitions 1967". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
25. ^ "African Club Competitions 1968". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
26. ^ "African Club Competitions 2009". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
27. ^ "African Club Competitions 2010". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
28. ^ "16 Clubs for Group Phase of CC and CL effective 2017". CAFOnline.com. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
29. ^ "New adopted format for Club Competitions". CAFOnline.com. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
30. ^ "Draw Procedures for Interclubs Group Phase". CAFOnline.com. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
31. ^ "Zamalek v Al Ahly - Head to Head in CAF Champions League". CAFOnline.com. 23 November 2020. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
32. ^ "Ahly down Zamalek to win record extending ninth Champions League crown". CAFOnline.com. 27 November 2020. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
33. ^ "Al Ahly secure 'Al Ashra' with victory over 10-man Chiefs". CAFOnline.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
34. ^ "El Moutaraji double delivers third TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title to Wydad". CAFOnline.com. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
35. ^ "Abdelmonem goal hands Ahly record extending 11th TotalEnergies CAF CL title". CAFOnline.com. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
36. ^ "Ahly crowned champions of Africa for record-extending 12th title". CAFOnline.com. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
37. ^ "New African Football League to start on Oct. 20, says Infantino". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. 13 July 2023. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
38. ^ Gleeson, Mark (9 August 2022). "Africa to announce $100-milion Super League plans on Wednesday". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
39. ^ "The 8th MTN CAF Champions League 2004". Sport Scheduler. Mbabane, Swaziland. Archived from the original on 18 March 2005. Retrieved 27 May 2005.
40. ^ "Regulations of the CAF Champions League until 2017" (PDF). 17 September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2015.
41. ^ "Current regulations of the CAF Champions League" (PDF). CAFOnline.com. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
42. ^ "CAF signs sponsorship deal". BBC News. 21 October 2004. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
43. ^ "Orange signs deal to sponsor African soccer competitions". Reuters. 28 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
44. ^ "Total is Transforming and Becoming TotalEnergies" (Press release). TotalEnergies. 28 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
45. ^ a b "Total, Title Sponsor of the Africa Cup of Nations and Partner of African Football". CAFOnline.com. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
46. ^ "Total to sponsor CAF competitions for the next eight years". Africanews. 21 July 2016. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
47. ^ "Orange signs new eight-year partnership with CAF". CAFOnline.com. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
48. ^ "1xBet - Official sponsor of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) tournaments". CAFOnline.com. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
49. ^ Glendinning, Matthew (6 January 2022). "TikTok signs one-year CAF sponsorship, Umbro inks technical deal". SportBusiness. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
50. ^ "TikTok unites African football fans through partnership with Confederation of African Football". TikTok Newsroom. 6 January 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
51. ^ "TikTok signs one-year CAF sponsorship deal". Soccerex. 6 January 2022. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
52. ^ "QNET announces Sponsorship of Total CAF Champions League, Total CAF Confederation Cup, Total CAF Super Cup". CAFOnline.com. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
53. ^ "BUILDING AFRICAN FOOTBALL TOGETHER: UMBRO AND CAF ENTER INTO MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP". CAFOnline.com. 5 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
54. ^ Thakur, Soumik (6 January 2022). "Umbro pens down sponsorship deal with CAF". SportsMint Media. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
55. ^ "CAF and PUMA conclude Agreement resulting in PUMA becoming CAF technical partner". CAFOnline.com. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
56. ^ a b "CAF launches a 'new look' TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Trophy together with TotalEnergies ahead of the first Leg Final this weekend". CAF launches a ‘new look’ TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Trophy together with TotalEnergies ahead of the first Leg Final this weekend. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
57. ^ "WATCH: Caf unveil new Champions League trophy as captain Themba Zwane and Mamelodi Sundowns bid to become the first to lay their hands on the latest piece | Goal.com South Africa". www.goal.com. 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
58. ^ "TRT Global - CAF unveils new Champions League trophy ahead of final match". trt.global. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
59. ^ "CAF Executive Committee decisions". CAFOnline.com. 16 September 2009. Archived from the original on 27 December 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
60. ^ "CAF Executive Committee decisions". CAFOnline.com. 16 September 2009. Archived from the original on 27 December 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
61. ^ "Prize money for CAF competitions effective 2017". CAFOnline.com. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
62. ^ "PDF file containing info of the prize money packages for AFCON 2017 and the CAF club competitions" (PDF). CAFOnline.com. 11 September 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
63. ^ "2020-21 TotalEnergies CAF CL Final – What you should know". CAFOnline.com. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021. "Besides the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Trophy, the winners will get the prize money of 2.5 million US $, while the runners up collect 1.25 million US $."
64. ^ "CAF's USD 50,000 Financial Commitment to each Club in the Preliminary Stages a shot in the arm for African Club Football". CAFOnline.com. 16 Aug 2024. Retrieved 23 Aug 2024.
65. ^ "CAF appoints Broadcast Services partners for 2022-2023" (Press release). CAFOnline.com. 21 December 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
66. ^ "StarTimes acquires broadcast rights of CAF Inter-Club competitions". Graphic Online. 8 February 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
67. ^ "Supersport and SABC share coverage of Caf Champions League final in late deal". Sportcal. GlobalData. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to CAF Champions League.

* Official website
* List of Past and Present Winners at RSSSF

* v
* t
* e

African Cup of Champions Clubs and CAF Champions League

African Champion Clubs' Cup era, 1964–1996

Seasons|

* 1964–65
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996

Finals|

* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996

CAF Champions League era, 1997–present

Seasons|

* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25
* 2025–26

Finals|

* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

* Finals
* Records and statistics
* Winning managers

* v
* t
* e

African Cup of Champions Clubs and CAF Champions League winners

African Cup of Champions Clubs era, 1965–1996

1960s|

* 1965: Oryx Douala
* 1966: Stade d'Abidjan
* 1967: TP Mazembe
* 1968: TP Mazembe
* 1969: Ismaily

1970s|

* 1970: Asante Kotoko
* 1971: Canon Yaoundé
* 1972: Hafia
* 1973: Vita Club
* 1974: CARA Brazzaville
* 1975: Hafia
* 1976: MC Alger
* 1977: Hafia
* 1978: Canon Yaoundé
* 1979: Union Douala

1980s|

* 1980: Canon Yaoundé
* 1981: JS Kabylie
* 1982: Al Ahly
* 1983: Asante Kotoko
* 1984: Zamalek
* 1985: FAR Rabat
* 1986: Zamalek
* 1987: Al Ahly
* 1988: ES Sétif
* 1989: Raja CA

1990s|

* 1990: JS Kabylie
* 1991: Club Africain
* 1992: Wydad AC
* 1993: Zamalek
* 1994: Espérance de Tunis
* 1995: Orlando Pirates
* 1996: Zamalek

CAF Champions League era, 1997–present

1990s|

* 1997: Raja CA
* 1998: ASEC Mimosas
* 1999: Raja CA

2000s|

* 2000: Hearts of Oak
* 2001: Al Ahly
* 2002: Zamalek
* 2003: Enyimba
* 2004: Enyimba
* 2005: Al Ahly
* 2006: Al Ahly
* 2007: Étoile du Sahel
* 2008: Al Ahly
* 2009: TP Mazembe

2010s|

* 2010: TP Mazembe
* 2011: Espérance de Tunis
* 2012: Al Ahly
* 2013: Al Ahly
* 2014: ES Sétif
* 2015: TP Mazembe
* 2016: Mamelodi Sundowns
* 2017: Wydad AC
* 2018: Espérance de Tunis
* 2018–19: Espérance de Tunis

2020s|

* 2019–20: Al Ahly
* 2020–21: Al Ahly
* 2021–22: Wydad AC
* 2022–23: Al Ahly
* 2023–24: Al Ahly
* 2024–25: Pyramids

* v
* t
* e

CAF competitions

National competitions|

| Men|

* Africa Cup of Nations
* African Nations Championship
* Futsal Africa Cup of Nations
* Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations

|

Women|

* Women's Africa Cup of Nations
* Women's Futsal Africa Cup of Nations
* Women's Olympic Qualification
* African Games

Youth competitions|

| Men|

* U-23 Cup of Nations
* U-20 Cup of Nations
* U-17 Cup of Nations
* African Games

|

Women|

* U-20 World Cup qualification
* U-17 World Cup qualification
* U-17 GIFT

Club competitions|

| Current|

* Football League
* Champions League
* Confederation Cup
* Super Cup
* Women's Champions League

|

Defunct|

* Cup Winners' Cup
* CAF Cup
* Afro-Asian Club Championship

Sub-regions|

| Northern Africa (UNAF)|

* Men's
* U-23 T.
* U-20 T.
* U-18 T.
* U-17 T.
* U-15 T.
* Club
* Club CC (defunct)
* Club CWC (defunct)
* Club SC (defunct)
* Futsal
* Women's
* U-20
* Club

|
|

Western Africa (WAFU)|

* Men's
* Nations Cup
* U-20
* Club (defunct)
* Amílcar Cabral Cup (defunct)
* Women's
* Zone A
* Zone B

Central Africa (UNIFFAC)|

* UNIFAC Cup
* U-17
* UDEAC Cup (defunct)
* CEMAC Cup (defunct)
* Club (defunct)

Eastern Africa (CECAFA)|

* Men's
* U-23
* U-20
* U-17
* U-15
* Club
* Nile Basin Cup
* Women's
* CECAFA Schools Cup

Southern Africa (COSAFA)|

* Men's
* U-20
* U-17
* Women's
* U-20
* U-17
* COSAFA Women's Champions League
* COSAFA Schools Cup

Related competitions|

| National|

* UAFA
* Arab Cup
* U-20
* U-17
* W-Cup
* U-17 W-Cup
* Pan Arab Games
* Mediterranean Games
* Islamic Solidarity Games
* Jeux de la Francophonie
* UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup (defunct)
* Afro-Asian Cup (defunct)

|

Club|

* UAFA
* Champions Cup
* CWC (defunct)
* SC (defunct)
* Afro-Asian Club Championship (defunct)

* Lists and awards
* African Footballer of the Year
* African Women's Footballer of the Year
* CAF Awards
* CAF 5-year ranking
* National team managers

* v
* t
* e

African Sports Club competitions

Football|

* Men
* Football League
* CAF Champions League
* CAF Confederation Cup
* CAF Super Cup
* Women
* CAF Women's Champions League

Basketball|

* Men
* Basketball Africa League
* Women
* Women's Basketball League Africa

Volleyball|

* Men
* CAVB African Men's Club Championship
* Women
* CAVB African Women's Club Championship

Handball|

* Men
* Champions League
* Cup Winners' Cup
* Super Cup
* Women
* Champions League
* Cup Winners' Cup
* Super Cup

Field hockey|

* Men
* Hockey Africa Cup for Club Champions
* Women
* Hockey Africa Cup for Club Champions

* v
* t
* e

International men's club football competitions

* World Leagues Forum
* Lists of association football clubs (Most successful clubs)

Global|

| FIFA|

Club World Cup
Intercontinental Cup

|

Africa|

| CAF|

Champions League
Confederation Cup
Super Cup

Defunct
Football League
Cup Winners' Cup
CAF Cup

|

Regional|

UNAF
Kagame Interclub Cup

Defunct
North African Cup of Champions
North African Cup Winners Cup
North African Super Cup
WAFU

Asia|

| AFC|

Champions League Elite
Champions League Two
Challenge League

Defunct
Cup Winners' Cup
Super Cup

|

Regional|

ASEAN
Marianas Club Championship
SAFF

Europe|

| UEFA|

Champions League
Europa League
Conference League
Super Cup

Defunct
Cup Winners' Cup
Intertoto Cup

|

North,
Central America
& the Caribbean|

| CONCACAF|

Champions Cup

Defunct
Cup Winners Cup
CONCACAF League
Campeonato Centroamericano

|

Regional|

Central American Cup
Caribbean Cup
Caribbean Club Shield
Campeones Cup
Leagues Cup

Defunct
Caribbean Club Championship
UNCAF Interclub Cup
SuperLiga

Oceania|

| OFC|

Champions League
Professional League (planned)

Defunct
Cup Winners' Cup
President's Cup

|

South America|

| CONMEBOL|

Copa Libertadores
Copa Sudamericana
Recopa Sudamericana

Defunct
Copa CONMEBOL
Copa Ganadores de Copa
Supercopa Libertadores
Copa Master de CONMEBOL
Copa Master de Supercopa
Copa de Oro

|

Regional|

Defunct
Copa Merconorte
Copa Mercosur

Intercontinental|

| Arab|

Arab Club Champions Cup

Defunct
Arab Cup Winners' Cup
Arab Super Cup

|

Africa & Asia|

Defunct
Afro-Asian Club Championship

Europe &
South America|

Under-20 Intercontinental Cup

Defunct
Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)

Pan American|

Defunct
Copa Interamericana

See also: International women's club football

* v
* t
* e

FIFA Club World Cup

* Predecessor: Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)
* Related: FIFA Intercontinental Cup (2024–present)

Tournaments|

* Brazil 2000
* ~~Spain 2001~~
* Japan 2005
* Japan 2006
* Japan 2007
* Japan 2008
* UAE 2009
* UAE 2010
* Japan 2011
* Japan 2012
* Morocco 2013
* Morocco 2014
* Japan 2015
* Japan 2016
* UAE 2017
* UAE 2018
* Qatar 2019
* Qatar 2020
* UAE 2021
* Morocco 2022
* Saudi Arabia 2023
* United States 2025
* TBD 2029

Finals|

* 2000
* ~~2001~~
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2025

Squads|

* 2000
* ~~2001~~
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2025

Qualification|

* AFC Champions League Elite
* CAF Champions League
* CONCACAF Champions Cup
* Copa Libertadores
* OFC Professional League
* UEFA Champions League

Statistics|

* Awards
* Hat-tricks
* Historical table
* Participants
* Records and statistics
* Winning managers
* World champion clubs

* Category
* Portal
* Multimedia

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template