The CAF Champions League football tournament is the most prestigious tournament of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). With the participation of top teams from across the continent, this tournament is not only a place for clubs to compete but also an opportunity for African players to prove their talent to the whole world. . In this article, 2019 SEA Games will learn about the CAF Champions League football tournament, from its history to memorable milestones and the most successful teams in the tournament’s history.
What is the CAF Champions League football tournament?
The CAF Champions League (also known as the African Cup) is an annual football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). This tournament includes top football clubs from CAF member countries. Since 1997, this tournament has replaced the old African Cup of Nations and has become the most prestigious tournament in African football.
The CAF Champions League football tournament is organized in the form of qualifying rounds and knock-out rounds. Clubs will compete in groups to find the best teams to advance to the knock-out round. In the knock-out round, teams will compete in a two-legged format to determine the champion.
History of formation and development of the CAF Champions League football tournament
The CAF Champions League football tournament was established in 1964 under the name African Cup. In the first years, this tournament only had the participation of teams from North Africa and East Africa. However, since 1970, teams from South Africa were also invited to participate and the tournament was renamed the European Cup and African Cup Winners’ Cup.
Since 1997, the tournament was renamed African Cup of Nations and only involved clubs from Africa. However, in 2004, the tournament was renamed the African Cup of Nations and expanded to include clubs from North Africa, Central Africa and South Africa.
From 2017, the tournament was renamed CAF and only involved clubs from Africa. However, in the future, CAF plans to expand this tournament to include clubs from all over Africa.
Form of participation in the CAF Champions League football tournament
The CAF Champions League football tournament can be considered one of the most difficult tournaments to win. To be able to participate in this tournament, clubs must pass many qualifying rounds and compete with the strongest opponents in their region.
Clubs will start from the first qualifying round, followed by the second qualifying round and the third qualifying round. In the third qualifying round, teams will be divided into groups to compete in round-robin format. The best teams from each group will advance to the knock-out round.
In the knock-out round, teams will compete in a two-legged format to determine the champion. In case two teams have the same number of points after two matches, the criterion to determine which team advances will be the number of goals scored away from home. If there is still no winner, the two teams will play a penalty shootout to decide which team moves on.
CAF Champions League football tournament schedule
The CAF Champions League football tournament schedule in the coming years will have some changes compared to previous years. According to CAF’s plan, the tournament will be held from August to May of the following year. This will help clubs have time to better prepare for the tournament and avoid overlap with national tournaments.
Memorable milestones of the CAF Champions League football tournament
Throughout the history of the CAF Champions League football tournament, there have been many memorable milestones that impressed fans. Below are some memorable milestones of this tournament:
1964: The tournament was established
- In 1964, the African Cup of Nations was established and became the most prestigious tournament in African football.
1997: The tournament was renamed African Cup of Nations
- In 1997, the tournament was renamed African Cup of Nations and only involved clubs from Africa.
2004: The tournament was renamed African Cup of Nations and expanded
- In 2004, the tournament was renamed again as the African Cup of Nations and expanded to include clubs from North Africa, Central Africa and South Africa.
2017: The tournament was renamed CAF Champions League
- In 2017, the tournament was renamed the CAF and only involved clubs from Africa.
The most successful teams in the CAF Champions League football tournament
Throughout the history of the CAF Champions League football tournament, there have been many excellent teams that have won many titles. Below are the most successful teams in this tournament:
Al Ahly (Egypt)
- Al Ahly is the most successful team in the CAF Champions League football tournament with 10 championship wins. This team is also the only team in the history of the tournament to win three consecutive titles from 2012 to 2013.
Mazembe City (Congo)
- TP Mazembe is the second most successful team in the CAF Champions League football tournament with 5 championship wins. This team won two consecutive titles in 2009 and 2010.
Zamalek (Egypt)
- Zamalek is the third most successful team in the CAF Champions League football tournament with 5 championship wins. This team is also the only team in the history of the tournament to win three consecutive titles from 1993 to 1996.
The best players ever played in the CAF Champions League football tournament
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In addition to successful teams, the CAF Champions League football tournament has also witnessed the brilliance of many excellent players. Here are some of the best players to ever compete in this tournament:
Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahly)
- Mohamed Aboutrika is the best player to ever play in the CAF football tournament. He won four championship titles with Al Ahly and is the player with the most goals in the tournament’s history.
Kalusha Bwalya (Mazeembe City)
- Kalusha Bwalya is one of TP Mazembe’s most successful players in the CAF Champions League football tournament. He won 3 championship titles with this team and is the player who scored the most goals in the club’s history.
Hossam Hassan (Zamalek)
- Hossam Hassan is the best player to ever play in the CAF Champions League football tournament for Zamalek. He won 3 championship titles with this team and is the player who scored the most goals in the club’s history.
CAF Champions League football tournament and the tournament’s influence
The CAF Champions League football tournament is not only a place for clubs to compete but also has a great influence on African football. This tournament has given clubs from Africa the opportunity to compete against strong opponents from across the continent and raise the level of African football.
In addition, the CAF Champions League football tournament is also a place for African players to shine and be noticed by clubs from Europe. Many players who have played in this tournament have subsequently succeeded in top European leagues.
Conclude
From the tournament’s earliest years to the present, the CAF Champions League has become one of the most prestigious tournaments in African football. With memorable milestones, successful teams and outstanding players, this tournament has made an important contribution to the development of African football and created exciting matches for fans. Let’s look forward to the top matches of the CAF Champions League football tournament in the upcoming 2022-2024 season.