The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has unveiled critical information regarding the 2024/2025 Interclub season, including competition dates and the updated rankings of Member Associations.
The announcement provides clarity on the slots allocation and key timelines for the forthcoming season.
The 2024/2025 CAF Interclub season will commence with the Preliminary Round, scheduled between August 16-18, 2024.
Following this, the Group Stages are set to take place from October to December 2024.
The season will culminate with the Knockout Phase and Finals of both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, scheduled from March to May 2025.
CAF has confirmed that the 12 highest-ranked Member Associations, based on the latest CAF rankings, will be eligible to enter two clubs in both the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.
These top 12 national associations are Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, RD Congo, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, and Tanzania.
This ranking allows these associations to enhance their representation and competitiveness in the prestigious continental tournaments.
Registration for the Interclub competitions has been initiated, with the CAF Competitions Management System (CMS) now open for Member Associations to register their qualified clubs.
Four distinct registration windows have been established to streamline the process:
– July 1 – July 20: Registration for players participating in the Preliminary Round.
– July 21 – August 31: Registration for players participating in the Second Preliminary Round.
– September 1 – September 30: Registration for players participating in the Group Stages.
– January 1 – January 31, 2025: Clubs can register up to seven additional players, including up to four replacements.
Significantly, CAF has maintained the cancellation of the second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
This means that teams eliminated in the second round of the CAF Champions League will no longer transition into the CAF Confederation Cup.
Instead, clubs that advance from the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup will proceed directly to the group stage, ensuring a streamlined and straightforward competition format.
This structural adjustment is designed to enhance the competitive integrity of the tournaments and provide a clear progression path for participating clubs.
It reflects CAF’s ongoing efforts to optimize the structure and scheduling of its flagship club competitions, ensuring they remain among the most prestigious and eagerly anticipated events on the African football calendar.
The announcement from CAF marks a significant step in the preparations for the 2024/2025 season, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting and fiercely contested series of competitions.
With the confirmed rankings and registration windows, Member Associations and clubs can now prepare strategically for their participation, aiming to achieve continental glory in the upcoming season.
