CAF Champions League: Format, Fixtures, Standings, Winners and Stats

The CAF Champions League is Africa’s annual men’s top-division interclub competition. Winners are crowned after two preliminary rounds, a group stage, and two-legged knockouts. TotalEnergies sponsors Africa’s premier club tournament until 2028.

CAF Champions League winners from 2025 to 2028 qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup 2029. Egyptian club Al Ahly is the most successful club in the tournament’s history. Get the latest CAF Champions League draw, fixtures, standings, results and stats on SportPesa.SportPesa

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The tournament was founded in 1964 as the African Cup of Champions Clubs. Cameroonian club Oryx Doula won the first edition, which had a purely knockout format. It was rebranded as the CAF Champions League in 1997, with expanded eligibility and a group-stage format. Commercial interest and the competition’s prize money have risen to the highest in Africa.

The title winners of top flights of CAF-affiliated countries qualify directly for the tournament. The tournament’s defending champions also earn a berth. Runners-up from the top 12 highest-ranked CAF countries also qualify. A maximum of 68 teams can enter the CAF Champions League qualifying rounds.

The clubs contest two-legged rounds (home and away). The winner qualifies for the second preliminary round. Several top-ranked clubs are given byes to the second preliminary round. Two clubs from the same country cannot be paired together.

16 winning teams from the second preliminary round advance to the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group rounds. They are drawn into 4 groups, each with 4 clubs. The teams then play home and away matches against an opponent in their group. Each club plays a total of 6 matches.

The group winners and runners-up advance to the knockouts. Here, eight teams compete in matches at home and away. 8 teams enter the quarter-finals, 4 progress to the semi-finals and 2 contest the final. If aggregate goals are tied, the team with the most away goals proceeds. If the tie persists, a penalty shootout breaks it.

It’s contested between two semifinal winners. The final features a home and an away match. Tie-breakers apply if the aggregate score is tied. VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is used in all group stage and knockout matches.

The CAF Champions League schedule spans the club football season. CAF releases an annual competition calendar, featuring key matchdays. Get all updated CAF fixtures on SportPesa. The following tables show the latest fixtures for the CAF Champions League.

Here are the latest round fixtures:

Get the latest CAF Champions League tables on SportPesa. This includes the latest group tables, showing the progress of teams advancing to the knockout stage.

Get the CAF Champions League live scores on SportPesa. This includes the goals scored and the winners of each match.

The highest-ranked clubs are exempted from the First Preliminary Round as determined by CAF. Clubs are divided into levels based on performances in CAF competitions and rankings. Draw pots are created based on geographical proximity to reduce travel demands. The first club drawn hosts the first leg of the First Preliminary Round.

16 qualified teams are placed across 4 pots. This is based on the previous season’s CAF Club ranking. Teams are drawn from Pot 4 first, making the fourth position of each group. The process is repeated for Pot 3, 2 and finally 1.

For the quarter-final, group winners are placed in individual pots while group runners-up are put in one pot. A group runner-up is drawn first to face one group winner at home. The quarter-finalists are placed in a bracket to determine semi-final and final matchups.

CAF Champions League prize money has increased steadily through the years. For the 2026/27 tournament, winners receive US$6 million. This follows the increase from US$4 million in 2024/25. Winners also qualify for the next season’s CAF Super Cup and, as part of the 2025–2028 cycle, the FIFA Club World Cup 2029.

North African countries have dominated the competition since 1981. The latest records show that Egypt has 19 wins while Morocco has 7. The following table shows the latest complete list of champions since the tournament’s founding.

Here is the CAF Champions League all-time top scorers list:

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Al Ahly’s 27 matches are the longest CAF Champions League unbeaten run (March 2023-January 2025. In 2019, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Seychelles’ Cte d’Or 11-1 for the biggest win.  Download the SP Score app for the latest comprehensive stats. Here is a table with notable CAF Champions League records.

In Tanzania, you can watch the match on Azam TV, TBC (for major matches), CAF TV on YouTube, and SuperSport. Follow the unfolding tournament on SportPesa. Get the latest schedule for Tanzanian clubs on our pages.

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Egypt’s Al Ahly has the most CAF Champions League titles (12).

The maximum number of CAF Champions League participants is 68 clubs from 56 member associations. Participation is subject to member states fielding licensed clubs.

The CAF Champions League is Africa’s top-tier club competition, featuring domestic league champions. The CAF Confederation Cup is a second-tier competition for domestic league winners and high rankers.

Egyptian clubs have the most CAF Champions League wins. Egypt has 19 titles, followed by Morocco with 7.

 The CAF Champions League sets the stage for African clubs to show their mettle. As Africa’s premier club competition, players and fans alike get to experience the highest quality of African football. Follow the CAF Champions League on SportPesa.

Get the latest betting odds for the CAF Champions League on SportPesa.