The 2014 CAF Champions League (also known as the 2014 Orange CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 50th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 18th edition under the current CAF Champions League format. The two-time defending champions Al-Ahly were eliminated in the second round by Al-Ahly Benghazi.
In the final, ES Sétif of Algeria defeated AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the away goals rule after drawing 3–3 on aggregate, to win their second title. They qualified for the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, and earned the right to play in the 2015 CAF Super Cup.
Association team allocation All 56 CAF member associations may enter the CAF Champions League, with the 12 highest-ranked associations according to their CAF 5-year ranking eligible to enter two teams in the competition. The title holders could also enter if they had not already qualified for the CAF Champions League. As a result, theoretically a maximum of 69 teams could enter the tournament – although this level has never been reached.
For the 2014 CAF Champions League, the CAF used the 2008–2012 CAF 5-year ranking, which calculated points for each entrant association based on their clubs’ performance over those 5 years in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. The criteria for points were the following:
CAF Champions LeagueCAF Confederation CupWinners5 points4 pointsRunners-up4 points3 pointsLosing semi-finalists3 points2 points3rd place in groups2 points1 point4th place in groups1 point1 point
The points were multiplied by a coefficient according to the year as follows: 2012 – 5 2011 – 4 2010 – 3 2009 – 2 2008 – 1
Teams The following teams entered the competition. Teams in bold received a bye to the first round. The other teams entered the preliminary round.
Associations are shown according to their 2008–2012 CAF 5-year ranking – those with a ranking score have their rank and score indicated.
AssociationTeam(s)Qualifying methodAssociations eligible to enter two teams (ranked 1–12) TunisiaCS Sfaxien2012–13 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 championsEspérance de Tunis2012–13 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up EgyptAl-AhlyTitle holders (2013 CAF Champions League winners)2010–11 Egyptian Premier League championsZamalek2010–11 Egyptian Premier League runners-up NigeriaKano Pillars2013 Nigeria Premier League championsEnyimba2013 Nigeria Premier League runners-up SudanAl-Merrikh2013 Sudan Premier League championsAl-Hilal2013 Sudan Premier League runners-up MoroccoRaja Casablanca2012–13 Botola championsFAR Rabat2012–13 Botola runners-up DR CongoTP Mazembe2013 Linafoot championsAS Vita Club2013 Linafoot runners-up AlgeriaES Sétif(one entrant only)2012–13 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions MaliStade Malien2012–13 Malian Première Division championsAS Real Bamako2012–13 Malian Première Division runners-up CongoAC Léopards2013 Congo Premier League championsDiables Noirs2013 Congo Premier League runners-up AngolaKabuscorp2013 Girabola championsPrimeiro de Agosto2013 Girabola runners-up CameroonCoton Sport2013 Elite One championsLes Astres2013 Elite One runners-up GhanaAsante Kotoko2012–13 Ghanaian Premier League championsBerekum Chelsea2012–13 Ghanaian Premier League runners-upAssociations eligible to enter one team ZimbabweDynamos2013 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League champions ZambiaNkana2013 Zambian Premier League champions Ivory CoastSéwé Sport2012–13 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 champions LibyaAl-Ahly Benghazi2013–14 Libyan Premier League Group B leaders after Round 7 NigerAS Douanes Niamey2012–13 Niger Premier League champions BotswanaMochudi Centre Chiefs2012–13 Botswana Premier League champions Burkina FasoASFA Yennenga2013 Burkinabé Premier League champions BurundiFlambeau de l’Est2012–13 Burundi Premier League champions ChadFoullah Edifice2013 Ligue de N'Djaména champions ComorosKomorozine2013 Comoros Premier League champions Equatorial GuineaAkonangui2013 Equatoguinean Premier League champions EthiopiaDedebit2012–13 Ethiopian Premier League champions GabonUS Bitam2012–13 Gabon Championnat National D1 champions GambiaSteve Biko2013 GFA League First Division champions GuineaHoroya2013 Guinée Championnat National champions Guinea-BissauOs Balantas2013 Campeonato Nacional da Guiné-Bissau champions KenyaGor Mahia2013 Kenyan Premier League champions LesothoLioli2012–13 Lesotho Premier League champions LiberiaBarrack Young Controllers2013 Liberian Premier League champions MadagascarCNaPS Sport2013 THB Champions League champions MauritaniaFC Nouadhibou2012–13 Mauritanian Premier League champions MozambiqueLiga Muçulmana2013 Moçambola champions NamibiaBlack Africa2012–13 Namibia Premier League champions RwandaRayon Sports2012–13 Primus National Football League champions São Tomé and PríncipeSporting Praia Cruz2013 São Tomé and Príncipe Championship champions SenegalDiambars2013 Senegal Premier League champions SeychellesCôte d'Or2013 Seychelles First Division champions Sierra LeoneDiamond Stars2013 Sierra Leone National Premier League champions South AfricaKaizer Chiefs2012–13 Premier Soccer League champions South SudanAtlabara2013 South Sudan Football Championship champions SwazilandMbabane Swallows2012–13 Swazi Premier League champions TanzaniaYoung Africans2012–13 Tanzanian Premier League champions TogoAnges de Notsè2013 Togolese Championnat National champions UgandaKampala City Council2012–13 Uganda Super League champions ZanzibarKMKM2012–13 Zanzibar Premier League champions
Notes
The following associations did not enter a team:
Benin Cape Verde Central African Republic Djibouti Eritrea Malawi Mauritius Réunion Somalia
Schedule The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws held at CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt unless otherwise stated).
PhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legQualifyingPreliminary round16 December 2013(Marrakesh, Morocco)7–9 February 201414–16 February 2014First round28 February–2 March 20147–9 March 2014Second round21–23 March 201428–30 March 2014Group stageMatchday 129 April 201416–18 May 2014Matchday 223–25 May 2014Matchday 36–8 June 2014Matchday 425–27 July 2014Matchday 58–10 August 2014Matchday 622–24 August 2014Knock-out stageSemi-finals19–21 September 201426–28 September 2014Final24–26 October 201431 October–2 November 2014
Qualifying rounds
The draw for the preliminary, first and second qualifying rounds was held on 16 December 2013.
Qualification ties were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the sides were level on aggregate after the second leg, the away goals rule was applied, and if still level, the tie proceeded directly to a penalty shoot-out (no extra time was played).
Preliminary round
Notes
First round
Second round
The losers of the second round entered the 2014 CAF Confederation Cup play-off round.
Group stage
The draw for the group stage was held on 29 April 2014. The eight teams were drawn into two groups of four. Each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the semi-finals.
Tiebreakers
Group A
Group B
Knockout stage
Knock-out ties were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the sides were level on aggregate after the second leg, the away goals rule was applied, and if still level, the tie proceeded directly to a penalty shoot-out (no extra time was played).
Bracket
Semi-finals In the semi-finals, the group A winners played the group B runners-up, and the group B winners played the group A runners-up, with the group winners hosting the second leg.
Final
In the final, the order of legs was decided by a draw, held after the group stage draw.
Champions CAF Champions League2014 WinnersES SétifSecond Title
Top scorers RankPlayerTeamGoals1 El Hedi Belameiri ES Sétif6 Haythem Jouini Espérance de Tunis Ndombe Mubele AS Vita Club Mrisho Ngasa Young Africans5 Mouhcine Iajour Raja Casablanca5 Knowledge Musona Kaizer Chiefs Edward Sadomba Al-Ahly Benghazi8 Ahmed Akaïchi Espérance de Tunis4 Fakhreddine Ben Youssef CS Sfaxien Mudather Careca Al-Hilal Akram Djahnit ES Sétif Tady Etekiama AS Vita Club Lema Mabidi AS Vita Club Sofiane Younès ES Sétif
See also 2014 CAF Confederation Cup 2014 FIFA Club World Cup 2015 CAF Super Cup
References
External links Orange CAF Champions League 2014, CAFonline.com