CAF 5-Year Ranking


The CAF 5-Year Ranking is used by the Confederation of African Football to determine the number of clubs that each CAF member association may enter in Africa's club football competitions, the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. At present, those associations ranked in the top twelve may enter two sides into each of the two continental tournaments, while the remaining associations are limited to a single side in each competition.

Introduction of the ranking

Prior to 2004, CAF organised three club tournaments with each association allowed to enter a single side in each tournament.
Starting from the 2004 season, the Cup Winners' Cup and CAF Cup were combined into a new tournament, the CAF Confederation Cup. Rather than limiting all associations to just two positions in CAF tournaments, CAF decided to allow the leading nations two entries into the new tournament, and also allow them a second entry in the Champions League.
As with the UEFA ranking used for their club tournaments, the CAF ranking is based on the results obtained in each of the past five completed club seasons. There are some differences, notably:
The initial classification was made according to the performance of the associations in the previous 5 years in club competitions held by the Confederation of African Football.
According to this system the associations selected were Tunisia, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Morocco, South Africa, Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Angola, Nigeria, Congo DR, and Senegal.

Season 2005 controversy

In July 2004 the Confederation of African Football informed its members that the ranking system for admission to the various cups for the 2005 season would be done according to the same 1998-2002 ranking used for the 2004 season. It is unknown why CAF did not calculate a 1999-2003 ranking, as there would seem to have been enough time to do this. Since then, it has become CAF's policy to adopt a year older ranking for the competitions of the new season. So, for the 2012 season, rankings were based on results from 2006 to 2010.

Season 2011 change

In December 2010, the CAF altered the ranking system, removing the components from the Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, and weighting more recent results more highly. For 2011 competitions, results from seasons 2005 to 2009 were still used, but the points from 2009 were multiplied by 5, from 2008 by 4 and so on.

Season 2017 expansion

Starting from 2017 season, the group stage of both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup was expanded from eight to 16 teams, divided into four groups of four, and a quarter-final stage was added after the group stage. The CAF announced the ranking system based on the new format in March 2018.

Criteria for awarding points

CAF approved its basic criteria, based on the criteria used in the election of the CAF Clubs of the 20th Century on 2000, for awarding points in 2003. Since then the only change has been the addition of criteria that rewards clubs that advance to the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup. This methodology has also been used to create an all-time ranking for CAF clubs.
The table below shows the years during which the tournament was run. Since 2011 the Super Cup and FIFA World Cup Club have been excluded.

Weighting factor

Since the 2011 CAF competitions, when computing the rankings, points have been weighted according to the year of the results. For example, for the ranking points calculated based on performances in continental club championships for the period 2013–2017, the points are multiplied by a coefficient according to the year as follow:

Ranking for 2019–20 CAF competitions

Ranking for 2019–20 CAF Champions League and 2019–20 CAF Confederation Cup will be based on results from each CAF tournament from 2015 to 2018–19. This was announced by the CAF on 4 June 2019, as using the previous scheme, it would be based on results from 2014 to 2018. The only change for the top 12 associations is that Tanzania is included while Ivory Coast is excluded.
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Ranking for 2020–21 CAF Champions League and 2020–21 CAF Confederation Cup will be based on results from each CAF tournament from 2016 to 2019–20.
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Updated after CAF Champions League/Confederation Cup matches on 8 March 2020, points which may increase marked by ≥.

Historical rankings since 2011

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Note: For associations which have the same number of points, they are listed as having the same rank as CAF did not publish any tiebreaking criteria. In two occasions there was a tie for determining the 12th ranked association:

Ranking for 2019–20 CAF competitions

Club ranking is used for seeding in the CAF competitions.
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RankClub2015
2016
2017
2018
2018–19
Total
1 Espérance de Tunis0.50366'
2 TP Mazembe65534'
2 Wydad Casablanca14635'
4 Al-Ahly32553'
5 Étoile du Sahel53433'
6 Mamelodi Sundowns06324'
7 Zamalek35205'
8 Horoya00133'
9 RS Berkane00024'
10 USM Alger50420'
10 Raja Casablanca00051'
12 ZESCO United04220.5'
13 AS Vita Club00141'
14 CS Sfaxien0.50203'
15 Al-Hilal4010.52'
15 Club Africain00302'
17 ES Sétif20040'
18 1º de Agosto00040'
18 Enyimba02030'
20 CS Constantine00003'
20 FUS Rabat03300'
20 Simba00003'
23 Gor Mahia00012'
23 Orlando Pirates40002'
25 Al-Masry00030'
25 SuperSport United00400'
27 ASEC Mimosas01011'
27 KCCA00120'
29 JS Saoura00002'
29 MC Alger00210'
29 Al-Ahli Tripoli00.5300'
29 Hassania Agadir00002'
29 Lobi Stars00002'
29 Al-Merrikh40200'
29 Nkana00002'
36 Ferroviário Beira00300'
37 MO Béjaïa04000'
37 CARA Brazzaville00020'
37 Difaâ El Jadidi00020'
37 Rayon Sports00020'
41 Mbabane Swallows00110'
42 Saint George00200'
42 Al-Hilal Al-Ubayyid00200'
42 Zanaco00200'
45 NA Hussein Dey00001'
45 Ismaily00001'
45 Asante Kotoko00001'
45 Enugu Rangers00001'
45 FC Platinum00001'
50 Township Rollers00010'
50 Williamsville AC00010'
50 UD Songo00010'
50 AS Togo-Port00010'
54 Recreativo do Libolo00100'
54 Coton Sport00100'
54 Young Africans00.500.50'
54 CAPS United00100'
58 Petro de Luanda00000.5'
58 Salitas00000.5'
58 AS Otôho00000.5'
58 Smouha100.500'
62 Aduana Stars0000.50'
62 Medeama01000'
62 Djoliba0000.50'
62 Moghreb Tétouan20000'
62 Kawkab Marrakech01000'
67 CF Mounana000.500'
67 Rivers United000.500'
67 Platinum Stars000.500'
70 MC El Eulma10000'
70 AC Léopards10000'
70 Stade Malien10000'

Ranking for 2020–21 CAF competitions

Club ranking is used for seeding in the CAF competitions.
;Legend
Updated after CAF Champions League/Confederation Cup matches on 8 March 2020, points which may increase marked by ≥.
RankClub2016
2017
2018
2018–19
2019–20
Total
1 Wydad Casablanca4635≥4
2 Espérance de Tunis03663'
3 Al-Ahly2553≥4
4 TP Mazembe55343'
5 Zamalek5205≥4
5 Mamelodi Sundowns63243'
7 Étoile du Sahel34333'
8 Raja Casablanca0051≥4
9 Horoya0133≥3
10 RS Berkane0024≥3
11 AS Vita Club01411'
11 Hassania Agadir0002≥3
13 1º de Agosto00402'
14 Al-Hilal010.522'
15 Enyimba20302'
15 ZESCO United4220.51'
17 USM Alger04201'
17 Al-Masry00302'
19 CS Sfaxien02030'
20 Pyramids0000≥3
21 Club Africain03020'
21 Zanaco02002'
23 ES Sétif00400'
23 CS Constantine00030'
23 Petro de Luanda0000.52'
23 Simba00030'
27 Gor Mahia00120'
28 JS Kabylie00002'
28 Al-Nasr00002'
30 FUS Rabat33000'
30 Enugu Rangers00011'
30 FC Platinum00011'
33 JS Saoura00020'
33 ASEC Mimosas10110'
33 Lobi Stars00020'
33 Orlando Pirates00020'
33 SuperSport United04000'
33 KCCA01200'
33 Nkana00020'
40 MC Alger02100'
41 Al-Ahli Tripoli0.53000'
41 Djoliba000.501'
43 CARA Brazzaville00200'
43 Difaâ El Jadidi00200'
43 Ferroviário Beira03000'
43 Rayon Sports00200'
47 Paradou AC00001'
47 DC Motema Pembe00001'
47 Mbabane Swallows01100'
50 MO Béjaïa40000'
50 NA Hussein Dey00010'
50 Ismaily00010'
50 Saint George02000'
50 Asante Kotoko00010'
50 Al-Hilal Al-Ubayyid02000'
50 Al-Merrikh02000'
57 Township Rollers00100'
57 Williamsville AC00100'
57 UD Songo00100'
57 AS Togo-Port00100'
61 ESAE00000.5'
61 FC San Pédro00000.5'
61 FC Nouadhibou00000.5'
61 Bidvest Wits00000.5'
65 Recreativo do Libolo01000'
65 Salitas0000.50'
65 Coton Sport01000'
65 AS Otôho0000.51'
65 Young Africans0.500.500'
65 CAPS United01000'
71 Aduana Stars000.500'
72 Smouha00.5000'
72 CF Mounana00.5000'
72 Medeama10000'
72 Kawkab Marrakech10000'
72 Rivers United00.5000'
72 Platinum Stars00.5000

Club results

Club results of the current season and previous five seasons, based on the current points system.
Updated after CAF Champions League/Confederation Cup matches on 8 March 2020, points which may increase marked by ≥.