2024–25 CAF Champions League

The 2024–25 CAF Champions League, officially the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons,[1] is the 61st season of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the 29th under the CAF Champions League title.

2024–25 CAF Champions League
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2024–2025
Tournament details
DatesQualification:
16 August – 22 September 2024
Competition proper:
26 November 2024 – 1 June 2025
Teams59 (from 47 associations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played48
Goals scored110 (2.29 per match)
Top scorer(s)Egypt Emam Ashour (4 goals)
2025–26
All statistics correct as of 19 January 2025.
(Note: All statistics do not include qualifying play-offs)

The winners of this edition of the competition will automatically qualify for the group stage of its next edition, earn the right to play against the winners of the 2024–25 CAF Confederation Cup in the 2025 CAF Super Cup and the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup.[2]

Association team allocation

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All 54 CAF member associations may enter the CAF Champions League, with the 12 highest ranked associations according to the CAF 5-year ranking eligible to enter two teams in the competition.[2] As a result, a maximum of 68 teams could enter the tournament – although this level has never been reached.

For this season's edition, CAF used the 2019–2024 CAF 5-year ranking, which calculates points for each entrant association based on their clubs performance over the 5 years in the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. The criteria for the points are as follows:[3][4][5]

CAF Champions League CAF Confederation Cup
Winners 6 points 5 points
Runners-up 5 points 4 points
Losing semi-finalists 4 points 3 points
Losing quarter-finalists 3 points 2 points
3rd place in groups 2 points 1 point
4th place in groups 1 point 0.5 point

The points were multiplied by a coefficient according to the season as follows:

  • 2023–24: × 5
  • 2022–23: × 4
  • 2021–22: × 3
  • 2020–21: × 2
  • 2019–20: × 1

Teams

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The following 59 teams from 47 associations entered the competition.

Associations are shown according to their CAF 5-year ranking – those with a ranking score have their rank and score (in parentheses) indicated.

Associations eligible to enter two teams (Top 12 associations)
Association Rank (Pts) Team Qualifying method
  Egypt 1 (184) Al Ahly 2023–24 CAF Champions League champions
2023–24 Egyptian Premier League champions
Pyramids 2023–24 Egyptian Premier League runners-up
  Morocco 2 (148) Raja CA 2023–24 Botola champions
AS FAR 2023–24 Botola runners-up
  Algeria 3 (119) MC Alger 2023–24 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions
CR Belouizdad 2023–24 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up
  South Africa 4 (106) Mamelodi Sundowns 2023–24 South African Premier Division champions
Orlando Pirates 2023–24 South African Premier Division runners-up
  Tunisia 5 (97) Espérance de Tunis 2023–24 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions
US Monastir 2023–24 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up
  Tanzania 6 (71) Young Africans 2023–24 Tanzanian Premier League champions
Azam 2023–24 Tanzanian Premier League runners-up
  DR Congo 7 (54) TP Mazembe 2023–24 Linafoot champions
AS Maniema Union 2023–24 Linafoot runners-up
  Angola 8 (51.5) Petro de Luanda 2023–24 Girabola champions
Sagrada Esperança 2023–24 Girabola runners-up
  Sudan 9 (37) Al Hilal 2023–24 Sudan Premier League champions
Al Merrikh 2023–24 Sudan Premier League runners-up
  Libya 10 (35) Al Nasr 2023–24 Libyan Premier League champions[Note LBY]
Al Ahly Benghazi 2023–24 Libyan Premier League runners-up[Note LBY]
  Ivory Coast 11 (30.5) San Pédro 2023–24 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 champions
Stade d'Abidjan 2023–24 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 runners-up
  Nigeria 12 (25) Enugu Rangers 2023-24 Nigeria Premier Football League champions
Remo Stars 2023-24 Nigeria Premier Football League runners-up
Associations eligible to enter one team
Association Rank (Pts) Team Qualifying method
  Guinea 13 (20.5) Milo 2023–24 Guinée Championnat National champions
  Ghana 14 (20) Samartex 2023–24 Ghana Premier League champions
  Mali 15 (15) Djoliba 2023–24 Malian Première Division champions
  Cameroon 16 (11.5) Victoria United 2023–24 Elite One champions
  Mauritania 17 (10.5) FC Nouadhibou 2023–24 Super D1 champions
  Congo 18 (9.5) AC Léopards 2024 Congo Ligue 1 champions
  Botswana 19 (8) Jwaneng Galaxy 2023–24 Botswana Premier League champions
  Zambia 20 (7.5) Red Arrows 2023–24 Zambia Super League champions
  Senegal 21 (6) Teungueth 2023–24 Senegal Premier League champions
  Togo T-22 (4) ASKO Kara 2023–24 Togolese Championnat National champions
  Uganda T-22 (4) SC Villa 2023–24 Uganda Premier League champions
  Eswatini T-24 (1.5) Mbabane Swallows 2023–24 Eswatini Premier League champions
  Niger T-24 (1.5) AS GNN 2023–24 Niger Premier League champions
  Burkina Faso T-26 (1) AS Douanes 2023–24 Burkinabé Premier League champions
  Zimbabwe T-26 (1) Ngezi Platinum 2023 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League champions
  Benin 28 (0.5) Coton FC 2023–24 Benin Premier League champions
  Burundi Vital'O 2023–24 Burundi Premier League champions
  Central African Republic Red Star de Bangui 2023–24 Central African Republic League runners-up
  Chad AS PSI 2024 Chad Premier League champions
  Comoros US Zilimadjou 2024 Comoros Premier League champions
  Djibouti Arta Solar 2023–24 Djibouti Premier League champions
  Equatorial Guinea Deportivo Mongomo 2023–24 Equatoguinean Primera División champions
  Ethiopia CBE 2023–24 Ethiopian Premier League champions
  Kenya Gor Mahia 2023–24 FKF Premier League champions
  Liberia Watanga 2023–24 Liberian First Division champions
  Madagascar Disciples FC 2023–24 Malagasy Pro League champions
  Malawi Nyasa Big Bullets 2023–24 Super League of Malawi champions
  Mozambique Ferroviário da Beira 2023 Moçambola champions
  Namibia African Stars 2023–24 Namibia Premier Football League champions
  Rwanda APR 2023–24 Rwanda Premier League champions
  Seychelles Saint Louis Suns United 2024 Seychelles Premier League champions
  Sierra Leone Bo Rangers 2024 Sierra Leone National Premier League champions
  Somalia Dekedaha 2023–24 Somali First Division champions
  South Sudan Al Merreikh Bentiu 2024 South Sudan Football Championship champions
  Zanzibar JKU 2023–24 Zanzibar Premier League champions
Associations which did not enter a team

Notes

  1. ^
    The Libyan Premier League was not finished by the CAF deadline for associations to submit teams participating in this season's CAF competitions. CAF approved a request made by the Libyan Football Federation to submit the names of participating teams in the competition following the end of the season by 22 July 2024, and as a result, Libyan teams were listed as Libya 1 and Libya 2 during the draw; as their identity was still unknown by the time of the draw.[6]

Schedule

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The schedule of the qualifying tournament is as follows.

Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Qualifying rounds First round 11 July 2024[7] 16–18 August 2024 23–25 August 2024
Second round 13–15 September 2024 20–22 September 2024
Group stage Matchday 1 7 October 2024 26–27 November 2024
Matchday 2 6–7 December 2024
Matchday 3 13–14 December 2024
Matchday 4 3–4 January 2025
Matchday 5 10–11 January 2025
Matchday 6 17–18 January 2025
Knockout stage Quarter-finals 20 February 2025 1–2 April 2025 8–9 April 2025
Semi-finals 18–19 April 2025 25–26 April 2025
Final 24 May 2025 1 June 2025

Qualifying rounds

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The draw for the qualifying rounds was held on 11 July 2024, 12:00 GMT (15:00 local time, UTC+3), at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.[8][9]

In the qualifying rounds, each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule was applied, and if still tied, extra time was not played, and a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner (Regulations III. 13 & 14).

First round

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Team 1Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
El Merriekh Bentiu  2–5  Gor Mahia1–01–5
Arta Solar  4–5  Dekedaha0–24–3
SC Villa  2–3  CBE1–21–1
Vital'O  0–10  Young Africans0–40–6
Azam  1–2  APR1–00–2
JKU  1–9  Pyramids0–61–3
Mbabane Swallows  1–0  Ferroviário da Beira1–00–0
Ngezi Platinum  0–0 (3–4 p)  AS Maniema Union0–00–0
Nyasa Big Bullets  2–3  Red Arrows2–10–2
African Stars  1–1 (5–6 p)  Jwaneng Galaxy1–00–1
Disciples FC  0–4  Orlando Pirates0–00–4
US Zilimadjou  1–2  Enugu Rangers0–11–1
Saint Louis Suns United  0–4  Sagrada Esperança0–10–3
AS Douanes  1–1 (a)  Coton FC0–01–1
AC Léopards  0–3  CR Belouizdad0–20–1
Victoria United  0–2  Samartex0–10–1
AS GNN  1–7  Raja CA1–20–5
AS PSI  0–3  US Monastir0–10–2
Watanga  0–4  MC Alger0–20–2
Red Star de Bangui  w/o[A]  Djoliba0–0
Deportivo Mongomo  2–3  ASKO Kara2–20–1
Stade d'Abidjan  2–2 (5–4 p)  Teungueth1–11–1
Milo  1–1 (a)  FC Nouadhibou0–01–1
Bo Rangers  1–2  San Pédro1–10–1
Al Ahly Benghazi  1–2  Al Hilal0–11–1
Al Nasr  0–2  Al Merrikh0–00–2
Remo Stars  2–3  AS FAR2–10–2

Notes:

  1. ^ Djoliba won on a walkover after Red Star de Bangui withdrew from the competition citing financial reasons.


Second round

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The 16 winners of the second round advanced to the group stage.

Team 1Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Gor Mahia  0–6  Al Ahly0–30–3
Dekedaha  1–12  Espérance de Tunis1–40–8
CBE  0–7  Young Africans0–10–6
APR  2–4  Pyramids1–11–3
Mbabane Swallows  0–8  Mamelodi Sundowns0–40–4
AS Maniema Union  2–1  Petro de Luanda2–10–0
Red Arrows  1–4  TP Mazembe0–21–2
Jwaneng Galaxy  0–3  Orlando Pirates0–20–1
Enugu Rangers  2–3  Sagrada Esperança1–01–3
AS Douanes  1–1 (3–4 p)  CR Belouizdad1–00–1
Samartex  2–4  Raja CA2–20–2
US Monastir  1–2  MC Alger1–00–2
Djoliba  2–0  ASKO Kara1–01–0
Stade d'Abidjan  3–2  Milo2–01–2
San Pédro  2–3  Al Hilal2–20–1
Al Merrikh  2–4  AS FAR2–20–2

Group stage

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The draw for the group stage was held on 7 October 2024, 11:00 GMT (14:00 local time, UTC+3), in Cairo, Egypt.[10] The 16 winners of the second round of qualifying rounds were drawn into four groups of four.

The teams were seeded by their performances in the CAF competitions for the previous five seasons (CAF 5-year ranking points shown next to every team). Each group contained one team from each of Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3, and Pot 4, and each team were allocated to the positions in their group according to their pot.

Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification HIL MCA YNG TPM
1   Al Hilal 6 3 1 2 6 7 −1 10 Advance to knockout stage 1–1 0–1 2–1
2   MC Alger 6 2 3 1 4 2 +2 9 0–1 2–0 1–0
3   Young Africans 6 2 2 2 5 6 −1 8 0–2 0–0 3–1
4   TP Mazembe 6 1 2 3 7 7 0 5 4–0 0–0 1–1
Source: CAF

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification FAR MSFC RCA MUN
1   AS FAR 6 2 4 0 8 4 +4 10 Advance to knockout stage 1–1 1–1 2–0
2   Mamelodi Sundowns 6 2 3 1 5 4 +1 9 1–1 1–0 0–0
3   Raja CA 6 2 2 2 4 5 −1 8 0–2 1–0 1–0
4   AS Maniema Union 6 0 3 3 3 7 −4 3 1–1 1–2 1–1
Source: CAF

.2025 matches

Group C

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification OPFC AHL CRB SAB
1   Orlando Pirates 6 4 2 0 10 4 +6 14 Advance to knockout stage 0–0 2–1 3–0
2   Al Ahly 6 3 1 2 14 7 +7 10 1–2 6–1 4–2
3   CR Belouizdad 6 3 0 3 11 10 +1 9 1–2 1–0 6–0
4   Stade d'Abidjan 6 0 1 5 4 18 −14 1 1–1 1–3 0–1
Source: CAF

Caf Table

Group D

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification EST PYR GDSE DJO
1   Espérance de Tunis 6 4 1 1 12 3 +9 13[a] Advance to knockout stage 2–0 4–1 4–0
2   Pyramids 6 4 1 1 14 4 +10 13[a] 2–1 5–1 6–0
3   Sagrada Esperança 6 1 2 3 3 10 −7 5 0–0 0–1 1–0
4   Djoliba 6 0 2 4 0 12 −12 2 0–1 0–0 0–0
Source: CAF
Notes:
  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Ranked on goal difference in head-to-head matches: Espérance de Tunis +1, Pyramids –1.

Knockout stage

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The mechanism of the draws for each round was as follows:

  • In the draw for the quarter-finals, the four group winners were seeded, and the four group runners-up were unseeded. The seeded teams were drawn against the unseeded teams, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg. Teams from the same group could not be drawn against each other, while teams from the same association could be drawn against each other.
  • In the draws for the semi-finals, there were no seedings, and teams from the same group or the same association could be drawn against each other. As the draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals were held together before the quarter-finals were played, the identity of the quarter-final winners was not known at the time of the semi-final draw.
Group Winners Runners-up
A   Al Hilal   MC Alger
B   AS FAR   Mamelodi Sundowns
C   Orlando Pirates   Al Ahly
D   Espérance de Tunis   Pyramids

Bracket

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The bracket was decided after the draw for the knockout stage, which was held on 20 February 2025, 18:00 AST (UTC+3) at the beIN Sports headquarters in Doha, Qatar.[11]

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
            
  Mamelodi Sundowns
  Espérance de Tunis
  QF3 winner
  QF1 winner
  Al Ahly
  Al Hilal
  SF1 winner
  SF2 winner
  MC Alger
  Orlando Pirates
  QF4 winner
  QF2 winner
  Pyramids
  AS FAR

Quarter-finals

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Team 1Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Al Ahly  QF1  Al Hilal1 Apr8 Apr
Pyramids  QF2  AS FAR1 Apr8 Apr
Mamelodi Sundowns  QF3  Espérance de Tunis1 Apr8 Apr
MC Alger  QF4  Orlando Pirates1 Apr8 Apr

Semi-finals

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Team 1Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
QF3 winnerSF1QF1 winner18–19 Apr25–26 Apr
QF4 winnerSF2QF2 winner18–19 Apr25–26 Apr

Final

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The first leg will be played on 24 May, and the second leg will be played on 1 June 2025.

Team 1Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
SF1 winnerFSF2 winner24 May1 Jun
SF1 winner  v  SF2 winner
SF2 winner  v  SF1 winner

Top goalscorers

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As of 19 January 2025

  Team eliminated / inactive for this round.
Rank Player Team MD1 MD2 MD3 MD4 MD5 MD6 QF1 QF2 SF1 SF2 F1 F2 Total
1   Emam Ashour   Al Ahly 1 3 4
2   Hussein El Shahat   Al Ahly 1 1 1 3
  Wessam Abou Ali   Al Ahly 3
  Ibrahim Adel   Pyramids 2 1
  Relebohile Mofokeng   Orlando Pirates 1 1 1
  Elias Mokwana   Espérance de Tunis 1 1 1
  Achref Jabri   Espérance de Tunis 3
  Aymen Mahious   CR Belouizdad 1 1 1

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Total, Title Sponsor of the Africa Cup of Nations and Partner of African Football". TotalEnergies. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "CAF Champions League regulations" (PDF). CAFOnline.com. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  3. ^ "16 Clubs for Group Phase of CC and CL effective 2017". CAFOnline.com. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  4. ^ "New adopted format for Club Competitions". CAFOnline.com. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  5. ^ "CAF disowns club ranking published by some websites". CAFOnline.com. 9 June 2011. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  6. ^ "في الجول يكشف سبب عدم تواجد أسماء لفرق ليبية في قرعة دوري أبطال إفريقيا والكونفدرالية" [FilGoal reveals why Libyan teams were unnamed in CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup draw]. FilGoal (in Arabic). 11 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  7. ^ "CAF to conduct Preliminary Draw of 2024/25 CAF Interclub season on Thursday". CAFOnline.com. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  8. ^ "CAF to conduct Preliminary Draw of 2024/25 CAF Interclub season on Thursday". Confederation of African Football. 10 July 2024.
  9. ^ "New Champions League season kicks off with high-stakes preliminary round matches". Confederation of African Football. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  10. ^ "CAF announces TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage Draw Date". Confederation of African Football. 22 September 2023.
  11. ^ "CAF announces Quarter-Finals Draw Dates for TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup". Confederation of African Football. 5 February 2025.
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