CAF to weigh Champions League expansion as Egypt pushes for extra places

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will meet behind closed doors in Morocco on Sunday to consider major reforms that could reshape both the Africa Cup of Nations and the continent’s top club competitions.

The executive committee is set to discuss proposals to expand the number of national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations, as well as a plan to increase the number of club slots in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.

The meeting will take place on the morning of the opening match of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, in which hosts Morocco face Kenya.

Key reforms on the table

Moroccan outlet Sport7 reported that the CAF executive committee will review “several proposals and files”, with competition expansion at both national team and club level at the top of the agenda.

Central to the discussions will be:

– Increasing the number of teams competing at the Africa Cup of Nations. – Raising the Champions League and Confederation Cup berths allocated to leading member associations.

Members of CAF’s competitions committee, which has the authority to debate and recommend such changes, will participate in the talks, underlining the significance of the decisions to be taken.

Any move to enlarge the Champions League and Confederation Cup is expected to have far‐reaching consequences for domestic calendars, club finances and the balance of power among Africa’s top footballing nations.

Egypt’s push for more club slots

The debate comes days after CAF president Patrice Motsepe publicly addressed Egypt’s request for additional club places in continental competitions.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Motsepe said: “اذا تلقينا اي طلب ننظر فيه وندرسه وهذا ما فعلناه بطلب مصر بزيادة عدد الاندية في دوري ابطال افريقيا”.

He continued: “القرارات من هذا النوع لابد ان يتم اتخاذها من اللجنة العليا للاتحاد الافريقي وهي التي تدرس هذا الملف”.

Motsepe also stressed his personal affection for some of the continent’s biggest clubs, adding: “انا احب الاهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز والوداد واحب كل الفرق الافريقية في القارة”.

Egypt has formally asked CAF to raise the number of clubs it can enter in both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, reflecting the strength and depth of its domestic league.

Potential shift in African club hierarchy

In a statement, the Egyptian Football Association outlined how a revised allocation system could work across the continent.

The EFA said: “يمكن ان ترتفع حصة بعض الاتحادات، بحسب معايير التصنيف المعمول بها، الى 3 اندية في دوري ابطال افريقيا، و3 اندية في كاس الكونفدرالية الافريقية، على ان تبدا مشاركة الاندية الاضافية من الادوار التمهيدية.”

Such a model would allow top‐ranked associations, based on CAF’s existing coefficient and performance criteria, to enter up to three clubs in each of the two main continental competitions.

If adopted, this would mark a significant departure from the current structure and could consolidate the dominance of countries with powerful leagues, such as Egypt and Morocco, while also incentivising others to improve their performances in CAF tournaments.

Women’s Afcon sets the stage

The timing of the executive committee meeting – on the sidelines of the opening fixture of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – highlights CAF’s broader efforts to project an image of growth across both the men’s and women’s games.

The curtain‐raiser between Morocco and Kenya will provide the backdrop as senior CAF figures debate changes that may define African club and international football for years to come.

Any final decisions on expanding the Africa Cup of Nations or increasing club allocations in the Champions League and Confederation Cup will need to be ratified by CAF’s higher decision‐making bodies in the coming months.