CAF Champions League
Africa's premier club football competition.
The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 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.
Quick Facts
- Organizing body
- Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- Competition tier
- Top-tier continental club competition (Africa)
- Format
- Group stage followed by knockout rounds
- Participating clubs
- Qualified clubs from national leagues across Africa
- In-game availability
- Career Mode and Club Challenge (FIFA franchise)
- Licensing
- Official CAF competition branding and club kits where licensed
Lore & Background
Established in 1964 as the African Cup of Champions Clubs, the first team to lift the trophy was Cameroonian team Oryx Douala. The 1966 edition introduced the two-legged 'home and away' final. In 1967, CAF arranged a play-off after both matches ended in draws, but Kotoko failed to appear and the title was handed to Mazembe. Between 1971 and 1980, Cameroonian teams won the cup four times. In 1997, CAF changed the name to the CAF Champions League and introduced prize money. Since 1997, teams from North Africa have come to dominate. The current champions are Mamelodi Sundowns, having beaten AS FAR in the 2026 final.
Reader's Guide
The competition is open to champions of all national top-flight leagues affiliated with CAF, as well as the defending Champions League title holders. Starting with the 2004 season, runners-up from the 12 highest-ranked associations are also granted entry. The tournament consists of qualifying rounds, a group stage, and a knockout phase. The group stage was expanded from 2 groups of 4 teams to 4 groups of 16 teams in 2017.
Did You Know?
- Egyptian clubs have the highest number of victories (19 titles), followed by Morocco with 7.
- Al Ahly is the most successful club in the competition's history, having won it a record 12 times.
- The competition has been won by 26 clubs, 12 of which have won it more than once.
- The winner earns a berth for the FIFA Club World Cup and, from 2024 onwards, along with the next 4 best teams, a place in the new FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
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