The 2017 CAF Champions League (officially the 2017 Total CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 53rd edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 21st edition under the current CAF Champions League title.
Starting from this season, the group stage was expanded from eight to 16 teams, divided into four groups of four, and the knockout stage expanded from 4 to 8 teams.
Wydad AC defeated Al Ahly in the final to win their second African Cup of Champions Clubs/CAF Champions League title, and qualified as the CAF representative at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and also earned the right to play against the winners of the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup, TP Mazembe, in the 2018 CAF Super Cup. Mamelodi Sundowns were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Wydad Casablanca. This is also the last time a club from Libya made the group stage.
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 2017 CAF Champions League, the CAF uses the 2011–2015 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 CupWinners5 points4 pointsRunners-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 follows: 2015 – 5 2014 – 4 2013 – 3 2012 – 2 2011 – 1
Teams The following 55 teams from 43 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 2011–2015 CAF 5-year ranking – those with a ranking score have their rank and score indicated.
AssociationTeamQualifying methodAssociations eligible to enter two teams (Ranked 1–12) TunisiaÉtoile du Sahel2015–16 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 championsEspérance de Tunis2015–16 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up EgyptAl Ahly2015–16 Egyptian Premier League championsZamalek2015–16 Egyptian Premier League runners-up DR CongoTP Mazembe2015–16 Linafoot championsAS Vita Club2015–16 Linafoot runners-up AlgeriaUSM Alger2015–16 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 championsJS Saoura2015–16 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up SudanAl-Hilal2016 Sudan Premier League championsAl-Merrikh2016 Sudan Premier League runners-up South AfricaMamelodi SundownsTitle holders (2016 CAF Champions League winners)2015–16 South African Premier Division championsBidvest Wits2015–16 South African Premier Division runners-up CongoAC Léopards2016 Congo Ligue 1 championsDiables Noirs2016 Congo Ligue 1 runners-up MoroccoFUS Rabat2015–16 Botola championsWydad AC2015–16 Botola runners-up Ivory CoastAS Tanda2015–16 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 championsSéwé Sport2015–16 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 runners-up MaliStade Malien2016 Malian Première Division championsAS Real Bamako2016 Malian Première Division runners-up CameroonUMS de Loum2016 Elite One championsCoton Sport2016 Elite One runners-up NigeriaEnugu Rangers2016 Nigeria Professional Football League championsRivers United2016 Nigeria Professional Football League runners-upAssociations eligible to enter one team Angola1º de Agosto2016 Girabola champions GhanaWa All Stars2016 Ghanaian Premier League champions LibyaAl-Ahli Tripoli2016 Libyan Premier League champions ZambiaZanaco2016 Zambia Super League champions EthiopiaSaint George2015–16 Ethiopian Premier League champions BotswanaTownship Rollers2015–16 Botswana Premier League champions Burkina FasoRail Club du Kadiogo2015–16 Burkinabé Premier League champions BurundiVital'O2015–16 Burundi Premier League champions ComorosNgaya Club2016 Comoros Premier League champions Equatorial GuineaSony Elá Nguema2015–16 Equatoguinean Primera División champions GabonCF Mounana2015–16 Gabon Championnat National D1 champions GambiaGambia Ports Authority2015–16 GFA League First Division champions GuineaHoroya2015–16 Guinée Championnat National champions KenyaTusker2016 Kenyan Premier League champions LesothoLioli2015–16 Lesotho Premier League champions LiberiaBarrack Young Controllers2016 Liberian First Division League champions MadagascarCNaPS Sport2016 THB Champions League champions MauritiusAS Port-Louis 20002015–16 Mauritian Premier League champions MozambiqueFerroviário Beira2016 Moçambola champions NigerAS FAN2015–16 Niger Premier League champions RéunionSaint-Louisienne2015 Réunion Premier League runners-up RwandaAPR2015–16 Rwanda National Football League champions SenegalUS Gorée2015–16 Senegal Premier League champions SeychellesCôte d'Or2016 Seychelles First Division champions Sierra LeoneJohansen2016 Sierra Leonean FA Cup winners South SudanAtlabara2015 South Sudan Football Championship champions SwazilandRoyal Leopards2015–16 Swazi Premier League champions TanzaniaYoung Africans2015–16 Tanzanian Premier League champions UgandaKCCA2015–16 Uganda Super League champions ZanzibarZimamoto2015–16 Zanzibar Premier League champions ZimbabweCAPS United2016 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League champions
Notes
Associations which did not enter a team
Benin Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Eritrea Guinea-Bissau Malawi Mauritania Namibia São Tomé and Príncipe Somalia Togo
Schedule The schedule of the competition was as follows (matches scheduled in midweek in italics).
PhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legQualifyingPreliminary round21 December 2016(Cairo, Egypt)10–12 February 201717–19 February 2017First round10–12 March 201717–19 March 2017Group stageMatchday 126 April 2017(Cairo, Egypt)12–14 May 2017Matchday 223–24 May 2017Matchday 32–4 June 2017Matchday 420–21 June 2017Matchday 530 June – 2 July 2017Matchday 67–9 July 2017Knockout stageQuarter-finals15–17 September 201722–24 September 2017Semi-finals29 September – 1 October 201720–22 October 2017Final27–29 October 20173–5 November 2017
The calendar was amended from the original one for the following dates: Quarter-finals first leg: moved from 8–10 September to 15–17 September Quarter-finals second leg: moved from 15–17 September to 22–24 September Semi-finals second leg: moved from 13–15 October to 20–22 October
Qualifying rounds
Preliminary round
First round
Group stage
Tiebreakers
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Knockout stage
Bracket
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerTeam Total1 Taha Yassine Khenissi ES Tunis1 2 2 1172 Achraf Bencharki Wydad AC 11 2153 Walid Azaro Al Ahly 1 3 4 Oussama Darfalou USM Alger1 21 Tady Etekiama AS Vita Club 22 6 Diogo Acosta Étoile du Sahel21 3 Junior Ajayi Al Ahly 11 1 Brian Amidu CAPS United 21 Farouk Chafaï USM Alger1 1 1 Ronald Chitiyo CAPS United 2 1 Walid El Karti Wydad AC 1 1 1 Ronald Pfumbidzai CAPS United 111 Moamen Zakaria Al Ahly 11 1
Prize money In 2017, the fixed amount of prize money paid to the clubs is as follows:
FinalpositionMoney awarded to clubNational Association share 5%WinnerUS$2,500,000US$125,000Runners-upUS$1,250,000US$62,500Semi-finalists US$800,000US$40,000Quarter-finalists US$650,000US$32,5003rd in group stage US$550,000US$27,5004th in group stage US$550,000US$27,500
See also 2017 CAF Confederation Cup 2017 FIFA Club World Cup 2018 CAF Super Cup
References
External links Total Champions League 2017, CAFonline.com