The 2018 CAF Champions League (officially the 2018 Total CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 54th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 22nd edition under the current CAF Champions League title.
Espérance de Tunis won the title for the third time, defeating Al Ahly in the final, and qualified as the CAF representative at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and also earned the right to play against the winners of the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup, Raja Casablanca, in the 2019 CAF Super Cup.
Wydad AC were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals by ES Sétif.
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 2018 CAF Champions League, the CAF uses the 2012–2016 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: 2016 – 5 2015 – 4 2014 – 3 2013 – 2 2012 – 1
Teams The following 59 teams from 47 associations entered the competition: Teams in bold received a bye to the first round. The other teams entered the preliminary round.
This was the second highest number of teams in the history of CAF Champions League. The highest number was recorded in 2007 where 60 teams entered.
Associations are shown according to their 2012–2016 CAF 5-year ranking – those with a ranking score have their rank and score indicated.
+Associations eligible to enter two teams (Ranked 1–12)AssociationTeamQualifying method Egypt Al-Ahly2016–17 Egyptian Premier League championsMisr Lel-Makkasa2016–17 Egyptian Premier League runners-up Tunisia Espérance de Tunis2016–17 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 championsÉtoile du Sahel2016–17 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up DR Congo TP Mazembe2016–17 Linafoot championsAS Vita Club2016–17 Linafoot runners-up Algeria ES Sétif2016–17 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 championsMC Alger2016–17 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up South Africa Bidvest Wits2016–17 South African Premier Division championsMamelodi Sundowns2016–17 South African Premier Division runners-up Morocco Wydad ACTitle holders (2017 CAF Champions League winners)2016–17 Botola championsDifaâ El Jadidi2016–17 Botola runners-up Sudan Al-Hilal2017 Sudan Premier League championsAl-Merrikh2017 Sudan Premier League runners-up Ivory Coast ASEC Mimosas2016–17 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 championsWilliamsville AC2016–17 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 runners-up Zambia ZESCO United2017 Zambia Super League championsZanaco2017 Zambia Super League runners-up Congo AC Léopards2017 Congo Ligue 1 championsAS Otohô2017 Congo Ligue 1 runners-up Mali Stade Malien2016 Malian Première Division championsAS Real Bamako2016 Malian Première Division runners-up Nigeria Plateau United2017 Nigeria Professional Football League championsMFM2017 Nigeria Professional Football League runners-up +Associations eligible to enter one teamAssociationTeamQualifying method Cameroon Eding Sport2017 Elite One champions Libya Al-Tahaddy2017 Libyan Premier League CAF competition playoff winners Ghana Aduana Stars2017 Ghanaian Premier League champions Tanzania Young Africans2016–17 Tanzanian Premier League champions Angola 1º de Agosto2017 Girabola champions Ethiopia Saint George2016–17 Ethiopian Premier League champions BeninBuffles du Borgou2017 Benin Premier League champions BotswanaTownship Rollers2016–17 Botswana Premier League champions Burkina FasoRail Club du Kadiogo2016–17 Burkinabé Premier League champions BurundiLLB Académic FC2016–17 Burundi Premier League champions Central African RepublicOlympic Real de Bangui2016–17 Central African Republic League champions ComorosNgaya Club2017 Comoros Premier League champions Equatorial GuineaLeones Vegetarianos2017 Equatoguinean Primera División champions GabonCF Mounana2016–17 Gabon Championnat National D1 champions GambiaArmed Forces2016–17 GFA League First Division champions GuineaHoroya2016–17 Guinée Championnat National champions Guinea-BissauSport Bissau e Benfica2016–17 Campeonato Nacional da Guiné-Bissau champions KenyaGor Mahia2017 Kenyan Premier League champions LesothoBantu2016–17 Lesotho Premier League champions LiberiaLISCR2016–17 Liberian First Division League champions MadagascarCNaPS Sport2017 THB Champions League champions MalawiMighty Wanderers2017 Malawi Premier Division leaders at entry deadline MauritaniaASAC Concorde2016–17 Ligue 1 Mauritania champions MauritiusPamplemousses2016–17 Mauritian Premier League champions MozambiqueUD Songo2017 Moçambola champions NigerAS FAN2016–17 Niger Premier League champions RwandaRayon Sports2016–17 Rwanda National Football League champions SenegalGénération Foot2016–17 Senegal Premier League champions SeychellesSaint Louis Suns United2017 Seychelles First Division champions South SudanAl-Salam Wau2017 South Sudan Football Championship champions SwazilandMbabane Swallows2016–17 Swazi Premier League champions TogoAS Togo-Port2016–17 Togolese Championnat National champions UgandaKCCA2016–17 Uganda Super League champions ZanzibarJKU2016–17 Zanzibar Premier League champions ZimbabweFC Platinum2017 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League champions
Notes
Associations which did not enter a team
Cape Verde Chad Djibouti Eritrea Namibia Réunion São Tomé and Príncipe Sierra Leone Somalia
Schedule The schedule of the competition was as follows (matches scheduled in midweek in italics). The regulations were modified with an additional draw before the quarter-finals. Effective from the Champions League group stage, weekend matches were played on Fridays and Saturdays while midweek matches were played on Tuesdays, with some exceptions. Kick-off times were also fixed at 13:00 (Saturdays and Tuesdays only), 16:00 and 19:00 GMT.
PhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legQualifyingPreliminary round13 December 2017(Cairo, Egypt)9–11 February 201820–21 February 2018First round6–7 March 201816–18 March 2018Group stageMatchday 121 March 2018(Cairo, Egypt)4–5 May 2018Matchday 215 May 2018Matchday 317 July 2018Matchday 427–28 July 2018Matchday 517–18 August 2018Matchday 628 August 2018Knockout stageQuarter-finals3 September 2018(Cairo, Egypt)14–15 September 201821–22 September 2018Semi-finals2 October 201823 October 2018Final2 November 20189 November 2018
Qualifying rounds
Preliminary round
First round
Group stage
In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced 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 Anice Badri Espérance de Tunis 21 1 15 Lazarous Kambole ZESCO United 1 31 Walid Soliman Al Ahly 11124 Walid Azaro Al Ahly 1 12 4 Ben Malango TP Mazembe21 1 6 Youcef Belaïli Espérance de Tunis 1 113 Lompala Bokamba 1º de Agosto1 1 1 El Habib Bouguelmouna ES Sétif 11 1 Saad Bguir Espérance de Tunis 1 2 Meschak Elia TP Mazembe1 11 Geraldo 1º de Agosto 1 1 1 Ocansey Mandela Horoya 11 1 Islam Mohareb Al Ahly 1 11
Prize money In 2018, the fixed amount of prize money paid to the clubs is as follows: FinalpositionPrize moneyChampion US$2.5 millionRunner-up US$1.25 millionSemi-finalists US$800,000Quarter-finalists US$650,0003rd in group stage US$550,0004th in group stage US$550,000 Note: National associations receive an additional equivalent share of 5% for each amount awarded to clubs.
See also 2018 CAF Confederation Cup 2018 FIFA Club World Cup 2019 CAF Super Cup
References
External links 22nd Edition Of Total CAF Champions League, CAFonline.com