The 2011 CAF Champions League (also known as the 2011 Orange CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 47th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 15th edition under the current CAF Champions League format. The winner Espérance ST participated in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, and also played in the 2012 CAF Super Cup.

Association team allocation Theoretically, up to 55 CAF member associations may enter the 2011 CAF Champions League, with the 12 highest ranked associations according to CAF 5-year ranking eligible to enter 2 teams in the competition. For this year's competition, CAF used . As a result, a maximum of 67 teams could enter the tournament – although this level has never been reached.

Ranking system

CAF calculates points for each entrant association based on their clubs’ performance over the last 5 years in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, not taking into considering the running year. The criteria for points are the following:CAF Club Competitions entry procedures for 2011 released

CAF Champions LeagueCAF Confederation CupWinner5 points4 pointsRunner-up4 points3 pointsLosing semi-finalists3 points2 points3rd place in groups2 points1 point4th place in groups1 point1 point

The points are multiplied by a coefficient according to the year as follow: 2009 – 5 2008 – 4 2007 – 3 2006 – 2 2005 – 1

This system is different from the one used for the 2010 CAF Champions League and previous years.

A similar procedure is used to rank clubs, with the exception that the results from 2006 to 2010 are used (with 2010 weighted by 5, 2009 by 4, and so on)

Entrants list Below is the entrants list for the competition. Nations are shown according to their 2005–2009 CAF 5-year ranking – those with a ranking score have their rank and score indicated. Teams were also seeded using their individual team 2006–2010 5-year ranking. The top nine sides (shown in bold) received byes to the first qualifying round.

AssociationClubQualifying methodAssociations with two entrants (Ranked 1–12) TunisiaEspérance ST(4th – 24pts)2009–10 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 championClub Africain(18th – 3 pts)2009–10 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runner-up EgyptAl-Ahly(2nd – 43 pts)2009–10 Egyptian Premier League championZamalek(18th – 3 pts)2009–10 Egyptian Premier League runner-up NigeriaEnyimba(13th – 11 pts)2009–10 Nigeria Premier League championKano Pillars(=11th – 12 pts)2009–10 Nigeria Premier League runner-up SudanAl-Hilal(3rd – 31 pts)2010 Sudan Premier League championAl-Merreikh(=6th – 16 pts)2010 Sudan Premier League runner-up Congo DRAS Vita Club(=16th – 4 pts)2010 Linafoot championTP Mazembe(1st – 55 pts)2010 Linafoot runner-up AlgeriaMC Alger2009–10 Algerian Championnat National championES Sétif(5th – 22 pts)2009–10 Algerian Championnat National runner-up MoroccoWydad AC2009–10 Botola championRaja Casablanca2009–10 Botola runner-up MaliStade Malien(=6th – 16 pts)2009–10 Malian Première Division championDjoliba(15th – 5 pts)2009–10 Malian Première Division runner-up CameroonCoton Sport FC(=11th – 12 pts)2009–10 Cameroonian Premier League championLes Astres FC(20th – 2 pts)2009–10 Cameroonian Premier League runner-up Ivory CoastASEC Mimosas(10th – 13 pts)2010 Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division championJC Abidjan2010 Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division runner-up AngolaInter Luanda(=16th – 4 pts)2010 Girabola (XXXII) championCR Caála2010 Girabola (XXXII) runner-up ZimbabweMotor Action2010 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League championDynamos(9th – 14 pts)2010 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League runner-upAssociations with one entrant (Fewer ranking points than the 12th CAF association) GhanaAduana Stars2009–10 Ghana Premier League champion ZambiaZESCO United(14th – 8 pts)2010 Zambian Premier League champion LibyaAl-Ittihad(=6th – 16 pts)2009–10 Libyan Premier League champion South AfricaSupersport United2009–10 Premier Soccer League champion Equatorial GuineaDeportivo Mongomo2010 Equatoguinean Premier League champion GabonUS Bitam2009–10 Gabon Championnat National D1 champion GuineaFello Star2009–10 Guinée Championnat National champion BeninASPAC2009–10 Benin Premier League champion BotswanaTownship Rollers2009–10 Botswana Premier League champion Burkina FasoASFA Yennenga2009–10 Burkinabé Premier League champion BurundiVital'O FC2009–10 Burundi Premier League champion Central African RepublicOlympic Real de Bangui2010 Central African Republic League champion ChadTourbillon FC2010 Ligue de N'Djaména champion ComorosÉlan Club2010 Comoros Premier League champion CongoSaint Michel de Ouenzé2010 Congo Premier League champion EthiopiaSaint-George SA2009–10 Ethiopian Premier League champion GambiaPorts Authority2010 GFA League First Division champion KenyaUlinzi Stars2010 Kenyan Premier League champion LesothoMatlama2009–10 Lesotho Premier League champion LiberiaMighty Barrolle2009 Liberian Premier League champion (no league champion in 2010) MadagascarCNaPS Sport2010 THB Champions League champion MauritaniaCF Cansado2010 Mauritanean Premier League champion MozambiqueLiga Muçulmana2010 Moçambola champion NigerASFAN2010 Niger Premier League champion RwandaAPR2009–10 Rwandan Premier League champion SenegalDiaraf2010 Senegal Premier League champion SeychellesSt Michel United2010 Seychelles League champion Sierra LeoneEast End Lions2009–10 Sierra Leone National Premier League champion SwazilandYoung Buffaloes2009–10 Swazi Premier League champion TanzaniaSimba2009–10 Tanzanian Premier League champion ZanzibarZanzibar Ocean View2010 Zanzibar Premier League champion

Notes Associations that did not enter a team: Cape Verde, Djibouti, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Réunion, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia, Togo, Uganda Unranked associations have no ranking points and hence are equal 20th. Unranked teams have no rankings points and hence are equal 21st. Club ranking is determined only between teams qualified for the 2011 CAF Champions League.

Round and draw dates Schedule of dates for 2011 competition.Proposed Dates for Interclubes Competitions 2011

Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg Qualifying Preliminary round 20 December 2010 (Cairo, Egypt)Draw for 2011 Interclubs rescheduled for Dec. 20 28–30 January 11–13 February25–27 February†4–6 March† First round 18–20 March 1–3 April Second round 22–24 April 6–8 May Group stage Matchday 1 15 May 2011 (Cairo, Egypt)CAF Meetings and Inter-Clubs Competitions draw set for May 15th 2011 15–17 July Matchday 2 29–31 July Matchday 3 12–14 August Matchday 4 26–28 August Matchday 5 9–11 September Matchday 6 16–18 September Knock-out stage Semifinals 30 September–2 October 14–16 October Final 4–6 November 11–13 November

† The second leg of the preliminary round matches are postponed to 25–27 February (or further to 4–6 March) in case the club have at least three players in the 2011 African Nations Championship.CL and CC: matches postponed

Qualifying rounds

The fixtures for the preliminary, first and second qualifying rounds were announced on 20 December 2010.Fixtures for preliminary round, first qualifying round, and second qualifying round

Qualification ties were decided over two legs, with aggregate goals used to determine the winner. If the sides were level on aggregate after the second leg, the away goals rule applied, and if still level, the tie proceeded directly to a penalty shootout (no extra time is played).Regulations of the CAF Champions League

Preliminary round

Notes Note 1: Inter Luanda advanced to the first round after Township Rollers F.C. withdrew. Note 2: Raja Casablanca advanced to the first round after Tourbillon withdrew following the first leg.

First round

Notes Note 3: Al-Ittihad advanced to the second round after JC Abidjan withdrew. Tie was scheduled to be played at a neutral venue over one leg due to the political situations in Côte d'Ivoire and Libya,CAF Interclubs matches venues and dates reviewed but match did not take place. Note 4: Tie played over one leg due to the political situation in Côte d'Ivoire. Note 5: Second leg abandoned on 90+5 minutes with Zamalek SC leading 2–1 (Club Africain leading 5–4 on aggregate) when Zamalek SC fans invaded the pitch.Violence rocks Zamalek match against Club Africain Note 6: TP Mazembe won 6–3 on aggregate, but were later disqualified for fielding an ineligible player. As a result, Simba played against Moroccan side Wydad AC, which lost to TP Mazembe in the second round, in a play-off for a place in the group stage.

Second round

Notes Note 7: Ties scheduled to be played over one leg due to the political situations in Côte d'Ivoire and Libya.Orange CAF Champions League postponed matches Note 8: Second leg abandoned on 81 minutes with the score at 1–1 (Al-Hilal leading 2–1 on aggregate) when Club Africain fans invaded the pitch.Club Africain Hilal game abandoned after pitch invasion Note 9: TP Mazembe won 2–1 on aggregate, but were later disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in the first round. As a result, Wydad AC played against Tanzanian side Simba, which lost to TP Mazembe in the first round, in a play-off for a place in the group stage.

The losing teams from the second round advance to the 2011 CAF Confederation Cup play-off round.

Special play-off On 14 May 2011, CAF announced that TP Mazembe (Congo DR) were ejected from the Champions League following a complaint about the eligibility of TP Mazembe player Janvier Besala Bokungu from Tanzanian club Simba, who lost to them in the first round.

As a result, the Organising Committee decided that a replacement for the group stage would be determined by a play-off match at a neutral venue between Simba and Moroccan club Wydad AC (who lost to TP Mazembe in the second round).TP Mazembe disqualified from the Orange CL group stage fielding ineligible playerMazembe are disqualified from the Champions League

Group stage

Key to colours in group tables Group winners and runners-up advance to the Semifinals

Group A

Group B

Knockout stage

Bracket

Semi-finals

Final

Espérance de Tunis won 1–0 on aggregate.

Top scorers RankNameTeamGoals 1 Edward Sadomba Al-Hilal7 2 Youssef Msakni ES Tunis 5 Mouhcine Iajour Wydad AC 4 Adama Bakayoko ASEC Mimosas 4 Uche Kalu Enyimba Yannick N'Djeng ES Tunis Oussama Darragi ES Tunis Pedro Henriques Interclube Alfred Luputa ZESCO United Fabrice N'Guessi Wydad AC 11 Emad Moteab Al-Ahly 3 Jacques Haman Coton Sport FC Hilaire Momi Coton Sport FC Lazhar Hadj Aïssa ES Sétif Nabil Hemani ES Sétif Victor Barnabas Enyimba Valentine Nwabili Enyimba Réda Babouche MC Alger Brahim Bedbouda MC Alger Abdelmalek Mokdad MC Alger Kellebonin Olympic Real Hassan Tair Raja CA Paizinho Recreativo Caála Mbwana Samata Simba SC

See also 2011 CAF Confederation Cup 2012 CAF Super Cup 2011 FIFA Club World Cup

References

External links CAF Champions League