CAF postpones plan to expand African Champions League

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has clarified its stance on proposals to increase the number of clubs participating in the CAF Champions League, opting to delay any expansion due to ongoing scheduling challenges.

Under the current system, qualification for CAF’s interclub competitions is determined by the ranking of national federations. The top-ranked associations are allocated four slots, with two places in the Champions League and two in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Countries such as Egypt benefit from this structure, securing four continental spots annually. This has contributed to heightened domestic competition, with leading clubs battling intensely for qualification places.

This season, the Egyptian league title race has been particularly tight, with Zamalek SC and Pyramids FC level on 50 points, while Al Ahly SC remain close behind on 47, leaving the outcome uncertain with only two rounds remaining.

According to Le360 Sport, the main obstacle to expanding the Champions League is not the concept itself but the practical difficulty of implementation. Increasing the number of participating clubs would inevitably lead to more matches, particularly in the preliminary stages, placing additional strain on an already congested calendar.

The scheduling complications are further intensified by international commitments, including upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers set to take place across Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, with the tournament finals scheduled for the end of the season.

The proposed changes aimed to allow top federations to enter three or four clubs into the Champions League instead of the current limit of two, a move designed to broaden participation and enhance both the competitive and commercial appeal of the tournament.

Federations that would be affected by such a reform include major football nations like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria and South Africa.

Given these logistical constraints, CAF has decided to shelve the proposal for now, acknowledging that implementing such a significant change in the next edition of the competition is not feasible due to the already packed African football calendar.