The Tournaments of the Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has run the Total CAF Champions League since 1964. The tournament is an annual football competition that brings the top clubs from Africa’s leagues together and includes elimination rounds as well as group play. The winning team qualifies for the FIFA Club World Cup and also faces off with the winner of the Total CAF Confederation Cup in the following year’s Total CAF Super Cup. Tunisian club ES Tunis won its third title in the most recent Total CAF Champions League, beating the most successful team in the event’s history, Egypt’s Al Ahly, in the final.
The second-tier of the CAF competition, the Total CAF Confederation Cup, has been held annually since it was introduced in 2004. The top teams from all 55 CAF members are eligible to compete in the event. In 2018, the Moroccan club Raja Casablanca won its first title by beating the Congolese club AS Vita in the final. Tunisian club CS Sfaxien is currently the most decorated team at the event, with three titles and one runner-up trophy.
Unlike the Total CAF Champions League and the Total CAF Confederation Cup, the Total CAF Super Cup is a one-off championship match that pits the winners of the two tournaments against each other. Despite some variations over the years, the Total CAF Super Cup has taken place annually since 1993. The most recent edition of the tournament, in 2019, saw Raja Casablanca earn a hard-fought 2-1 victory over ES Tunis. Although they haven’t won since 2014, Al Ahly remains the most successful team of all time at the event, with a total of six Super Cup titles.
There is plenty of action across these tournaments coming up soon, with the first match of the final of the Total CAF Confederation Cup scheduled for May 19 and the return match for May 26. The first leg of the final of the Total CAF Champions League is set to take place on May 24, with the return match on May 31. Winners of each competition face off in the Total CAF Super Cup, which is currently scheduled for August 16.
Most successful clubs in CAF tournaments
CAF Champions League | CAF Confederation Cup | CAF Super Cup |
---|---|---|
Al Ahly 8 titles |
CS Sfaxien 3 titles |
Al Ahly 6 titles |
TP Mazembe 5 titles |
Étoile du Sahel 2 titles |
TP Mazembe 3 titles |
Zamalek 5 titles |
TP Mazembe 2 titles |
Zamalek 3 titles |