The number of teams that each African football association sends into the CAF champions and CAF confederations is based upon the CAF club coefficients and points of the member-association with the top 12 African club association sending two teams in each competition with the remaining associations sending one in each competition.
The coefficients and points of each member association are calculated on how teams from each association perform in the competition.
CAF’s coefficient system is a set of numerical ratings given to each of its member associations and the clubs competing in its competitions which are ratings used for deciding how many teams each member association will send in CAF competitions and how teams will be seeded in certain draws which are multiplied by points each team from each member association attain at the end of that particular competition.
Currently, CAF member associations are sending club teams in each CAF competition based on five years’ points accumulation. The last coefficients and points accumulation ran from 2016 to 2019/2020 season. So to understand, this is how it was done.
The 2016 CAF champions league and CAF confederation was the first year in the new rank, so it being the first year it carried the coefficient of one. 2017 CAF club competition league was the second so it carried the coefficient of two. 2018 was third with a coefficient of three. 2019 was the fourth season in the five-year ranking so it carried the coefficient of four. Since they were changes from CAF requiring all leagues from its member associations to end before June so as not to collide with FIFA world cup and CAF Africa cup of nations which was shifted from January to June hence the 2020 CAF club competitions started earlier and were called the 2019/2020 season and it was the fifth thereby carrying coefficient of five.
CAF has two club competitions which are the CAF champions league and CAF confederation cup, the former being the top tier club competition and the latter being the second-tier league. This means that the top twelve CAF club member associations will send two teams in the CAF champions league which finishes in first and second position in their leagues respectively and two in the CAF confederations which finishes third and fourth. While member associations ranked thirteenth to 54th will send one in each CAF club competition meaning the team which finishes first will get the CAF champions league spot while runners up will get the CAF confederation slot (Note: Some countries may use domestic cup competitions to decide one or more slots in CAF Inter-clubs competitions)
This is how teams and member associations earn points, Points are earned starting from the group stage. In the CAF champions league, a fourth finish in the group gives one point, the third finish comes with two points, the losing quarter-finalist goes away with three points with losing semi-finalist given four points where runners up get five points with while winners amass six points.
In the CAF confederation cup, group stage fouth finish gets you no point with a third finish in a group pegged with one, losing quarter-finalist scoop two points while losing semi-finalist grab three points, runners-up receive four points while winners smartly get five points.
So now this is how member associations and teams earn make points. For example in the first year of the five year calendar a team finishes fourth in the group, they will earn a point which will be multiplied by the coefficient which is the year in that five year calendar. To make this easier,2016 was the first year of the five-year CAF calendar club ranking system meaning it carried one. So if a club finished as winners of the CAF champions league which carries five points then that five points will be multiplied by one which is the coefficient of that CAF club season meaning these are points a team will finish within that particular season. In the second season of the five-year club ranking system which was 2017, the coefficient was two because it was the second season. Now if a club won the CAF champions league which comes with five points then the five points will be multiplied by two giving that team ten points for that particular season and member association. This is also done to succeeding seasons.
Next to be discussed on this ‘Friday ZamFoot blockbuster’ segment is the importance of these rankings to clubs and CAF member associations.
