The 2020–21 CAF Champions League (officially the 2020–21 Total CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 57th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 25th edition under the current CAF Champions League title.
Al Ahly successfully defended their title and defeated Kaizer Chiefs 3–0 in the final, which was played at Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, Morocco, winning their record-extending tenth and second consecutive title.
As the winners of the 2020–21 CAF Champions League, Al Ahly represented Africa in both the 2021 and 2025 FIFA Club World Cups, and played against Raja Casablanca, the winners of the 2020–21 CAF Confederation Cup, in the 2021–22 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. As a result, theoretically a maximum of 68 teams could enter the tournament – although this level has never been reached.
For the 2020–21 CAF Champions League, the CAF uses the 2016–2020 CAF 5-year ranking, which calculates 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 are the following:
CAF Champions LeagueCAF Confederation CupWinners6 points5 pointsRunners-up5 points4 pointsLosing semi-finalists4 points3 pointsLosing quarter-finalists (from 2017)3 points2 points3rd place in groups2 points1 point4th place in groups1 point0.5 point
The points are multiplied by a coefficient according to the year as follows: 2019–20: × 5 2018–19: × 4 2018: × 3 2017: × 2 2016: × 1
Teams Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, associations may abandon their domestic competitions and select the representatives in CAF club competitions. Associations may register their representatives during the engagement window between 1 September and 20 October 2020. All engaged teams must respect the Club Licensing procedure and cooperate with their respective Associations, as non-licensed clubs would be refused participation.
The following 54 teams from 42 associations 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 2016–2020 CAF 5-year ranking – those with a ranking score have their rank and score (in parentheses) indicated.
+Associations eligible to enter two teams (Top 12 associations)AssociationRank TeamQualifying method1 Raja Casablanca2019–20 Botola championsWydad AC2019–20 Botola runners-up2 Al AhlyTitle holders (2019–20 CAF Champions League winners)2019–20 Egyptian Premier League championsZamalek2019–20 Egyptian Premier League runners-up3 Espérance de Tunis2019–20 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 championsCS Sfaxien2019–20 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up4 TP Mazembe2019–20 Linafoot championsAS Vita Club2019–20 Linafoot runners-up5 CR Belouizdad2019–20 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 championsMC Alger2019–20 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up6 Mamelodi Sundowns2019–20 South African Premier Division championsKaizer Chiefs2019–20 South African Premier Division runners-up7 Nkana2019–20 Zambian Super League championsForest Rangers2019–20 Zambian Super League runners-up8 Plateau United2019–20 Nigeria Professional Football League first place at time of abandonmentEnyimba2019–20 Nigeria Professional Football League second place at time of abandonment9 Horoya2019–20 Guinée Championnat National first place after 13 roundsAshanti de Siguiri2019–20 Guinée Championnat National second place after 13 rounds10 Petro de Luanda2019–20 Girabola first place at time of abandonment1º de Agosto2019–20 Girabola second place at time of abandonment11 Al Merrikh2019–20 Sudan Premier League championsAl Hilal2019–20 Sudan Premier League runners-up12 Al Nasr2017–18 Libyan Premier League championsAl Ahly Benghazi2017–18 Libyan Premier League runners-up +Associations eligible to enter one teamAssociationRank TeamQualifying method13 Simba2019–20 Tanzanian Premier League champions14 RC Abidjan2019–20 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 champions15 Gor Mahia2019–20 Kenyan Premier League champions15 FC Platinum2019 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League champions17 Costa do Sol2019 Moçambola champions18 AS Otohô2019–20 Congo Ligue 1 champions18 Vipers2019–20 Uganda Premier League champions20 Asante Kotoko2019 GFA Normalization Committee Special Competition Tier 1 winners20 Stade Malien2019–20 Malian Première Division champions22 APR2019–20 Rwanda Premier League champions23 Young Buffaloes2019–20 Eswatini Premier League champions24 Mekelle 70 Enderta2018–19 Ethiopian Premier League champions25 Jwaneng Galaxy2019–20 Botswana Premier League champions25 ASKO Kara2019–20 Togolese Championnat National champions27 Buffles du Borgou2018–19 Benin Premier League champions27 FC Nouadhibou2019–20 Ligue 1 Mauritania champions29 Rahimo2018–19 Burkinabé Premier League champions29 PWD Bamenda2019–20 Elite One champions31 AS Bouenguidi2019–20 Gabon Championnat National D1 Group A first place at time of abandonment—Le Messager Ngozi2019–20 Burundi Premier League champions—Gazelle2020 Chad Premier League champions—US Zilimadjou2020 Comoros Premier League champions—GR/SIAF2019–20 Djibouti Premier League champions—Akonangui2019–20 Equatoguinean Primera División Región Continental first place at time of abandonment—Gambia Armed Forces2019–20 GFA League First Division second place at time of abandonment—Bantu2019–20 Lesotho Premier League champions—AS SONIDEP2018–19 Niger Premier League champions—Teungueth2019–20 Senegal Premier League first place at time of abandonment—Mogadishu City2019–20 Somali First Division champions—Mlandege2019–20 Zanzibar Premier League champions
Associations which did not enter a team
Notes
Schedule The start of the competition was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 1 September 2020, the CAF announced the new schedule. On 10 September 2020, the CAF decided to further delay the preliminary round, originally scheduled for 20–22 November (first legs) and 28–29 November (second legs), and the first round, originally scheduled for 11–13 December (first legs) and 18–20 December (second legs).
+Schedule for 2020–21 CAF Champions LeaguePhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legQualifyingPreliminary round9 November 202028–29 November 20204–5 December 2020First round22–23 December 20205–6 January 2021Group stageMatchday 18 January 202112–13 February 2021Matchday 223–24 February 2021Matchday 35–6 March 2021Matchday 416–17 March 2021Matchday 52–3 April 2021Matchday 69–10 April 2021Knockout stageQuarter-finals30 April 202114–15 May 202121–22 May 2021Semi-finals18–19 June 202125–26 June 2021Final17 July 2021
The original schedule of the competition, as planned before the pandemic, was as follows.
+PhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legQualifyingPreliminary roundTBD 20207–9 August 202021–23 August 2020First round11–13 September 202025–27 September 2020Group stageMatchday 17 October 202027–29 November 2020Matchday 24–6 December 2020Matchday 38–10 January 2021Matchday 422–24 January 2021Matchday 55–7 February 2021Matchday 612–14 February 2021Knockout stageQuarter-finals17 February 20215–7 March 202119–21 March 2021Semi-finals9–11 April 202123–25 April 2021Final28 May 2021
Qualifying rounds
Preliminary round
First round
Group stage
In each group, teams play against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage. Tiebreakers Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Knockout stage
Bracket
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerTeam Total1 Mohamed Sherif Al Ahly 11 1 11162 Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane Espérance de Tunis 2 1 1 4 Amir Sayoud CR Belouizdad 1 111 4 Clatous Chama Simba 2 13 Ayoub El Kaabi Wydad AC111 Luís Miquissone Simba 1 11 Samir Nurković Kaizer Chiefs 2 1 Mohamed Magdy Afsha Al Ahly SC1 1 1
See also 2020–21 CAF Confederation Cup 2022 CAF Super Cup 2021 CAF Women's Champions League
References
External links CAFonline.com