CAF Champions League
Danger Signals for Nigerian Clubs at CAF Competitions
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The just concluded Nigeria Professional Football League season 2016/17 may be the last to produce three continental competitors if the trio of Plateau United, MFM and Enyimba as well as the eventual winners of the AITEO Cup failed to make appreciable impact in the 2018 CAF inter clubs competitions.
For many years now, Nigeria along with 11 other countries whose leagues are rated among the top 12 in the continent have the privilege of fielding two clubs in each of CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.
The top 12 are decided based on a five-year ranking conducted since 2004. CAF uses this to determine the number of clubs each affiliated national league association is eligible to enter in both Champions league and Confederation Cup for a particular term.
The 12 best ranked national league associations in Africa were privileged to field two clubs in both CAF Champions league and Confederation Cup. Sports Village Square has gathered that based on the current ranking which CAF has not officially released, the poor performances of Enugu Rangers, FC IfeanyiUbah, Nasarawa United and to some extent, Rivers United in the CAF inter clubs competitions this season, Nigeria is dangerously ranked 12th – the last of among countries that can have multiple entries.
While Nigeria slipped in the football leagues’ ranking in the continent, Zambia, for instance jumped six steps up the ladder from joint 14th to ninth. Nigeria remains stagnant at 12th.
It now means that Zambia will for the first time ever have four clubs in the continents at the same time.
Poor performance by the Nigerian clubs in the coming season may see the country dropping out of the top 12 and only the NPFL champion will then be eligible to feature in the CAF Champions League.
Egypt remains top of the ranking for the 2018 CAF football league season. The country, which teams have dominated the CAF competitions, has 85 points as against Nigeria’s laughable 13. Tunisia with 76 points ranks next while DR Congo follows with 70 points.
In addition, Sports Village Square gathered that South Africa’s Danny Jordan, a CAF executive committee member is pushing for the top leagues like Egypt, Tunisia DR Congo, Algeria and South Africa which are among the top five should henceforth have four clubs in each of the two CAF clubs’ competitions. In essence, while Nigerian league may produce just one continental campaigner, leagues of each of those countries will each have eight clubs.
This is following a pattern already established by UEFA which allocates multiple slots for top European leagues like the English Premiership, Spanish La Liga and the Bundesliga.
“As you can see for both Egypt and South Africa they (CAF) have allocated four places in the Champions League and that is on the basis that these teams are strong, thriving and truly professional teams,” a Zambian football blog, quoted Jordan as saying.
In the ranking of top 40 clubs in Africa, only two Nigerian clubs, Enyimba in the 21st position and Sunshine Stars of Akure (32nd) are listed.
CAF Inter-Clubs Ranking For 2018
| Rank | Associations | 2012 (× 1) |
2013 (× 2) |
2014 (× 3) |
2015 (× 4) |
2016 (× 5) |
Total
Points |
|||||
| CL | CC | CL | CC | CL | CC | CL | CC | CL | CC | |||
| 1 | Egypt | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 85 |
| 2 | Tunisia | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 76 |
| 3 | DR Congo | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 70 |
| 4 | Algeria | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 62 |
| 5 | South Africa | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 45 |
| 6 | Morocco | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 41 |
| 7 | Sudan | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 8 | Cote d’Ivoire | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| 9 | Zambia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 | Congo | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 11 | Mali | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 12 | Nigeria | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| 13 | Cameroon | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 14 | Libya | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 15 | Ghana | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 16 | Tanzania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 17 | Angola | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 18 | Ethiopia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Egypt’s Pyramids claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa. This led to a 3-2 aggregate success. They celebrated their first African Champions League title. This triumph occurred following the second leg of this year’s final at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday.
The first leg in Pretoria finished 1-1. Fiston Mayele gave Pyramids the lead on 23 minutes. He profited from a Sundowns defensive error. Ahmed Samy doubled the advantage on 56 minutes. He scored with a header from a free-kick.
Sundowns pulled a goal back through Iqraam Rayners with 15 minutes remaining. One more goal would have given them victory in the tie on the away goals rule. However, Pyramids held firm despite heavy pressure from the visitors.
Pyramids are the fourth Egyptian side to lift the Champions League trophy after record 12-time winners Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Ismaily. Meanwhile, 2016 champions Sundowns head to this month’s Club World Cup in the United States on a low note.
-Reuters
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- 1. Pyramids aim to become the first new CAF Champions League winner since Sundowns (2016), the 13th in the modern era, and the 27th overall.
- 2. This is the 19th Champions League-era final featuring an Egyptian club. Previous teams (Al Ahly 10, Zamalek 1) have won 11 titles.
- 3. Including the pre-Champions League era, this is the 29th final for an Egyptian club, with 18 wins and 10 losses.
- 4. Pyramids have played only 1 of their last 9 matches at home but are unbeaten in their last 23 home games this season (W19 D4) and last 28 overall (W24 D4).
- 5. Pyramids scored in 22 of 23 home games this season; the only blank was a 0-0 draw vs Al Masry.
- 6.This season, they’ve won all 7 home matches, scoring 26 and conceding 6, with one clean sheet. In total, they’ve lost just 1 of 11 home matches in the competition.
- 7. Fiston Mayele leads with 8 goals in 12 matches (5 since group stage); Ibrahim Adel has 6 (also 5 post-group stage).
- 8. Ramadan Sobhi has 5 assists in 9 games (joint-most), plus 2 goals. He’s had major impact off the bench twice.
- 9. Askary Chibi has created 20 chances since the group stage — the most for Pyramids.
- 10. Pyramids have kept 3 clean sheets this season, all away, but remain dominant at home
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- 1. Sundowns are in their third CAF Champions League final (2001, 2016, 2024).
- 2. South African Record: First South African club to reach three finals, surpassing Orlando Pirates (2).
- 3. Sundowns hosted the first leg in all three finals. In 2001, they drew 1-1 at home and lost 2-0 away to Al Ahly.
- 4. Sundowns beat Zamalek 3-0 at home, lost 1-0 away, and won 3-1 on aggregate.
- 5. Sundowns have never scored in an away leg of a Champions League final, conceding five in total.
- 6. The current final marks the second time Sundowns led at home and failed to win (also in 2001).
- 7. A defeat would make Sundowns the first South African side to lose two finals.
- 8. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 10 matches vs Egyptian opposition (4wins and 6 draws).
- 9. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 4 visits to Egypt (2 wins and 2 draws).
- 10. A win would make Sundowns the first team since Al Ahly (2012) to win the title after failing to win the home leg.
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