Pirates rise to fifth in Africa as Kaizer Chiefs make top-50 breakthrough

Orlando Pirates have moved up to fifth among Africa’s leading clubs in the latest FootballDatabase rankings, while Kaizer Chiefs have surged into the continent’s top 50 despite their early CAF Confederation Cup exit.

Pirates have collected 1,586 points and are now within 61 points of third-placed Al Ahly. Their continued progress reflects the club’s growing standing in African football as they prepare for another campaign on the continental stage.

The Buccaneers also secured their return to the CAF Champions League group stages after missing out last season. Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side defeated Namibia’s African Stars 5-0 on aggregate in the second qualifying round.

That result means Pirates will again compete among Africa’s leading clubs, having built on their recent experience in continental competition.

Chiefs continue rise despite continental disappointment

Kaizer Chiefs have also recorded a notable improvement in the FootballDatabase standings, even though their CAF Confederation Cup campaign ended in the second round.

The South African club were eliminated by Zambia’s Red Arrows after the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate and Red Arrows won 3-2 on penalties.

That setback has not prevented Chiefs from making significant progress in the rankings. Amakhosi have climbed to 48th in Africa after previously struggling to break into the continent’s top 100.

Their rise has been linked largely to a strong conclusion to the 2025/26 season, when they finished third in the Betway Premiership.

Chiefs have also remained unbeaten in the league this season, although they currently occupy fifth place in the domestic standings.

Why FootballDatabase differs from CAF rankings

FootballDatabase and CAF use different methods to assess clubs.

CAF rankings are based solely on performances in continental competitions, whereas FootballDatabase also takes domestic matches into account when calculating a club’s position.

As a result, results in local leagues can have a substantial effect on the rankings. FootballDatabase therefore provides a wider assessment of a team’s performances across an entire season, rather than focusing only on its record in African competition.