The 2017 CAF Confederation Cup (officially the 2017 Total CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 14th edition of the CAF Confederation Cup, Africa's secondary club football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
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.
Defending champions TP Mazembe, which entered the Confederation Cup after losing in the 2017 CAF Champions League first round, defeated Supersport United in the final, and earned the right to play against the winners of the 2017 CAF Champions League in the 2018 CAF Super Cup.
Association team allocation All 56 CAF member associations may enter the CAF Confederation Cup, 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 (plus 16 teams eliminated from the CAF Champions League which enter the play-off round) – although this level has never been reached.
For the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup, 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 52 teams from 40 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) TunisiaCS Sfaxien2015–16 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 third placeClub Africain2015–16 Tunisian Cup runners-up EgyptSmouha2015–16 Egyptian Premier League third placeAl-Masry2015–16 Egyptian Premier League fourth place DR CongoSM Sanga Balende2015–16 Linafoot third placeRenaissance du Congo2016 Coupe du Congo DR winners AlgeriaJS Kabylie2015–16 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 third placeMC Alger2015–16 Algerian Cup winners SudanAl-Ahly Shendi2016 Sudan Premier League third placeEl-Hilal El-Obeid2016 Sudan Cup runners-up South AfricaPlatinum Stars2015–16 South African Premier Division third placeSuperSport United2015–16 Nedbank Cup winners CongoÉtoile du Congo2016 Congo Ligue 1 third placeCARA Brazzaville2016 Coupe du Congo runners-up MoroccoIR Tanger2015–16 Botola third placeMAS Fez2016 Coupe du Trône winners Ivory CoastSC Gagnoa2015–16 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 third placeASEC Mimosas2016 Coupe de Côte d'Ivoire runners-up MaliDjoliba2016 Malian Première Division third placeOnze Créateurs2016 Malian Cup winners CameroonYong Sports Academy2016 Elite One third placeAPEJES Academy2016 Cameroonian Cup winners NigeriaWikki Tourists2016 Nigeria Professional Football League third placeIfeanyi Ubah2016 Nigerian FA Cup winnersAssociations eligible to enter one team AngolaRecreativo do Libolo2016 Taça de Angola winners GhanaBechem United2016 Ghanaian FA Cup winners LibyaAl-Hilal Benghazi2016 Libyan Cup runners-up ZambiaZESCO United2016 Zambia Super League runners-up EthiopiaDefence Force2016 Ethiopian Cup runners-up BotswanaOrapa United2015–16 Mascom Top 8 Cup winners Burkina FasoAS SONABEL2016 Coupe du Faso runners-up BurundiLe Messager Ngozi2016 Burundian Cup winners ComorosVolcan Club2016 Comoros Cup winners Equatorial GuineaRacing de Micomeseng2016 Equatoguinean Cup winners GabonAkanda2016 Coupe du Gabon Interclubs runners-up GuineaAS Kaloum2016 Guinée Coupe Nationale runners-up KenyaUlinzi Stars2016 FKF President's Cup runners-up LiberiaMonrovia Club Breweries2016 Liberian Cup winners MadagascarASSM Elgeco Plus2016 Coupe de Madagascar runners-up MauritiusPamplemousses2016 Mauritian Cup winners MozambiqueUD Songo2016 Taça de Moçambique winners NigerAS Douanes Niamey2016 Niger Cup winners RwandaRayon Sports2016 Rwandan Cup winners SenegalASC Niarry Tally2016 Senegal FA Cup winners SeychellesSt Michel United2016 Seychelles FA Cup winners Sierra LeoneRSLAF2016 Sierra Leonean FA Cup runners-up South SudanWau Salaam2016 South Sudan National Cup winners SwazilandMbabane Swallows2016 Swazi Cup winners TanzaniaAzam2015–16 Tanzania FA Cup runners-up UgandaVipers2016 Ugandan Cup winners ZanzibarKVZ2015–16 Zanzibar Premier League runners-up ZimbabweNgezi Platinum2016 Cup of Zimbabwe winners
A further 16 teams eliminated from the 2017 CAF Champions League enter the play-off round.
Losers of the 2017 CAF Champions League first round Rail Club du Kadiogo Rivers United AS Tanda Horoya FUS Rabat KCCA CF Mounana Young Africans Barrack Young Controllers Enugu Rangers Gambia Ports Authority CNaPS Sport Bidvest Wits TP Mazembe AC Léopards AS Port-Louis 2000
Associations which did not enter a team
Benin Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Eritrea Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Malawi Mauritania Namibia Réunion São Tomé and Príncipe Somalia Togo
Notably one team takes part in the competition that does not currently play in their national top-division. They are MAS Fez (2nd tier).
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 2017Play-off round21 March 2017(Cairo, Egypt)7–9 April 201714–16 April 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 2017Final17–19 November 201724–26 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
Play-off round
Group stage
Tiebreakers
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Knockout stage
Bracket
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerTeam Total1 Ben Malango TP Mazembe 11 111 62 Jeremy Brockie SuperSport United 2 2 1 5 Sabelo Ndzinisa Mbabane Swallows 4 1 Hichem Nekkache MC Alger 1 21 1 5 Saber Khalifa Club Africain 1 1114 Thabo Mnyamane SuperSport United 2 1 1 7 Karim Aouadhi CS Sfaxien 11 13 Firas Chaouat CS Sfaxien 12 Jean Francis Ebélé Dipita Horoya11 1 Mohamed Fouzair FUS Rabat 11 1 Bradley Grobler SuperSport United 1 2 Manoubi Haddad Club Africain 12 Derrick Nsibambi KCCA 12 Thuso Phala SuperSport United1 2
See also 2017 CAF Champions League 2018 CAF Super Cup
References
External links Total Confederation Cup 2017, CAFonline.com