2020–21 CAF Champions League

The 2020–21 CAF Champions League (officially the 2020–21 Total CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons)[1] is 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.

2020–21 CAF Champions League
2020–21 Total CAF Champions League
Tournament details
DatesQualifying:
28 November 2020 – 6 January 2021
Competition proper:
12 February – 17 July 2021
TeamsCompetition proper: 16
Total: 54 (from 42 associations)

The winners of the 2020–21 CAF Champions League will qualify for the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, and earn the right to play against the winners of the 2020–21 CAF Confederation Cup in the 2021–22 CAF Super Cup.[2]

Al Ahly are the defending champions.

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.[2] 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:[3][4][5]

CAF Champions League CAF Confederation Cup
Winners 6 points 5 points
Runners-up 5 points 4 points
Losing semi-finalists 4 points 3 points
Losing quarter-finalists (from 2017) 3 points 2 points
3rd place in groups 2 points 1 point
4th place in groups 1 point 0.5 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.[6] 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.[7]

The following 54 teams from 42 associations entered the competition.

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)
Association Rank (Pts) Team Qualifying method
 Morocco 1 (190) Raja Casablanca 2019–20 Botola champions
Wydad Casablanca 2019–20 Botola runners-up
 Egypt 2 (167) Al Ahly Title holders (2019–20 CAF Champions League winners)
2019–20 Egyptian Premier League champions
Zamalek 2019–20 Egyptian Premier League runners-up
 Tunisia 3 (140) Espérance de Tunis 2019–20 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions
CS Sfaxien 2019–20 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up
 DR Congo 4 (83) TP Mazembe 2019–20 Linafoot champions[Note COD]
AS Vita Club 2019–20 Linafoot runners-up[Note COD]
 Algeria 5 (81) CR Belouizdad 2019–20 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions[Note ALG]
MC Alger 2019–20 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up[Note ALG]
 South Africa 6 (68.5) Mamelodi Sundowns 2019–20 South African Premier Division champions
Kaizer Chiefs 2019–20 South African Premier Division runners-up
 Zambia 7 (43) Nkana 2019–20 Zambian Super League champions
Forest Rangers 2019–20 Zambian Super League runners-up
 Nigeria 8 (39) Plateau United 2019–20 Nigeria Professional Football League first place at time of abandonment[Note NGA]
Enyimba 2019–20 Nigeria Professional Football League second place at time of abandonment[Note NGA]
 Guinea 9 (38) Horoya 2019–20 Guinée Championnat National first place after 13 rounds[Note GUI]
Ashanti de Siguiri 2019–20 Guinée Championnat National second place after 13 rounds[Note GUI]
 Angola 10 (36) Petro de Luanda 2019–20 Girabola first place at time of abandonment[Note ANG]
1º de Agosto 2019–20 Girabola second place at time of abandonment[Note ANG]
 Sudan 11 (29.5) Al Merrikh 2019–20 Sudan Premier League champions
Al Hilal 2019–20 Sudan Premier League runners-up
 Libya 12 (16.5) Al Nasr 2017–18 Libyan Premier League champions[Note LBY]
Al Ahly Benghazi 2017–18 Libyan Premier League runners-up[Note LBY]
Associations eligible to enter one team
Association Rank (Pts) Team Qualifying method
 Tanzania 13 (14) Simba 2019–20 Tanzanian Premier League champions
 Ivory Coast 14 (13) RC Abidjan 2019–20 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 champions[Note CIV]
 Kenya 15 (11) Gor Mahia 2019–20 Kenyan Premier League champions[Note KEN]
 Zimbabwe 15 (11) FC Platinum 2019 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League champions
 Mozambique 17 (9) Costa do Sol 2019 Moçambola champions
 Congo 18 (8) AS Otohô 2019–20 Congo Ligue 1 champions[Note CGO]
 Uganda 18 (8) Vipers 2019–20 Uganda Premier League champions[Note UGA]
 Ghana 20 (6.5) Asante Kotoko 2019 GFA Normalization Committee Special Competition Tier 1 winners[Note GHA]
 Mali 20 (6.5) Stade Malien 2019–20 Malian Première Division champions
 Rwanda 22 (6) APR 2019–20 Rwanda Premier League champions[Note RWA]
 Eswatini 23 (5) Young Buffaloes 2019–20 Eswatini Premier League champions[Note SWZ]
 Ethiopia 24 (4) Mekelle 70 Enderta 2018–19 Ethiopian Premier League champions[Note ETH]
 Botswana 25 (3) Jwaneng Galaxy 2019–20 Botswana Premier League champions[Note BOT]
 Togo 25 (3) ASKO Kara 2019–20 Togolese Championnat National champions[Note TOG]
 Benin 27 (2.5) Buffles du Borgou 2018–19 Benin Premier League champions[Note BEN]
 Mauritania 27 (2.5) FC Nouadhibou 2019–20 Ligue 1 Mauritania champions
 Burkina Faso 29 (2) Rahimo 2018–19 Burkinabé Premier League champions[Note BFA]
 Cameroon 29 (2) PWD Bamenda 2019–20 Elite One champions[Note CMR]
 Gabon 31 (1) AS Bouenguidi 2019–20 Gabon Championnat National D1 Group A first place at time of abandonment[Note GAB]
 Burundi — Le Messager Ngozi 2019–20 Burundi Premier League champions
 Chad — Gazelle 2020 Chad Premier League champions
 Comoros — US Zilimadjou 2020 Comoros Premier League champions
 Djibouti — GR/SIAF 2019–20 Djibouti Premier League champions
 Equatorial Guinea — Akonangui 2019–20 Equatoguinean Primera División Región Continental first place at time of abandonment[Note EQG]
 Gambia — Gambia Armed Forces 2019–20 GFA League First Division second place at time of abandonment[Note GAM]
 Lesotho — Bantu 2019–20 Lesotho Premier League champions[Note LES]
 Niger — AS SONIDEP 2018–19 Niger Premier League champions[Note NIG]
 Senegal — Teungueth 2019–20 Senegal Premier League first place at time of abandonment[Note SEN]
 Somalia — Mogadishu City 2019–20 Somali First Division champions
 Zanzibar — Mlandege 2019–20 Zanzibar Premier League champions
Associations which did not enter a team
Notes
  1. ^
    Algeria (ALG): The 2019–20 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 was abandoned by the Algerian Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria. CR Belouizdad, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, and MC Alger, who were at second place (by points per game), will represent Algeria in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[8]
  2. ^
    Angola (ANG): The 2019–20 Girabola was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Angolan Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Angola. Petro de Luanda and 1º de Agosto, who were at first and second place at the time of abandonment, will represent Angola in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[9]
  3. ^
    Benin (BEN): The 2019–20 Benin Premier League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Benin Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Benin. Buffles du Borgou, who were the 2018–19 Benin Premier League champions, will represent Benin in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[10]
  4. ^
    Botswana (BOT): The 2019–20 Botswana Premier League was abandoned by the Botswana Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Botswana. Jwaneng Galaxy, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, will represent Botswana in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[11]
  5. ^
    Burkina Faso (BFA): The 2019–20 Burkinabé Premier League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Burkinabé Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Burkina Faso. Rahimo, who were the 2018–19 Burkinabé Premier League champions, will represent Burkina Faso in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[12]
  6. ^
    Cameroon (CMR): The 2019–20 Elite One was abandoned by the Cameroonian Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon. PWD Bamenda, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, will represent Cameroon in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[13]
  7. ^
    Cape Verde (CPV): The 2020 Cape Verdean Football Championships was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Cape Verdean Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cape Verde. No team will represent Cape Verde in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[14]
  8. ^
    Central African Republic (CTA): The 2019–20 Central African Republic League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Central African Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Central African Republic. No team will represent the Central African Republic in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[15]
  9. ^
    Congo (CGO): The 2019–20 Congo Ligue 1 was abandoned by the Congolese Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Congo. AS Otohô, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions (they were already assured of the title by then), will represent Congo in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[16]
  10. ^
    DR Congo (COD): The 2019–20 Linafoot was abandoned by the Congolese Association Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in DR Congo. TP Mazembe, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, and AS Vita Club, who were at second place, will represent DR Congo in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[17]
  11. ^
    Equatorial Guinea (EQG): The 2019–20 Equatoguinean Primera División was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Equatoguinean Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Equatorial Guinea. Akonangui, who were at Región Continental first place (better ranked first place between two regions) at the time of abandonment, will represent Equatorial Guinea in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[18]
  12. ^
    Eswatini (SWZ): The 2019–20 Eswatini Premier League was abandoned by the Eswatini Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini. Young Buffaloes, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, will represent Eswatini in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[19]
  13. ^
    Ethiopia (ETH): The 2019–20 Ethiopian Premier League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Ethiopian Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia. Mekelle 70 Enderta, who were the 2018–19 Ethiopian Premier League champions, will represent Ethiopia in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[20]
  14. ^
    Gabon (GAB): The 2019–20 Gabon Championnat National D1 was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Gabonese Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Gabon. AS Bouenguidi, who were at Group A first place (better ranked first place between two groups) at the time of abandonment, will represent Gabon in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[21]
  15. ^
    Gambia (GAM): The 2019–20 GFA League First Division was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Gambia Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Gambia. Gambia Armed Forces, who were at second place at the time of abandonment, will represent Gambia in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League, since Real de Banjul, who were at first place at the time of abandonment, declined to enter.[22]
  16. ^
    Ghana (GHA): The 2019–20 Ghana Premier League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Ghana Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. Asante Kotoko, who were the 2019 GFA Normalization Committee Special Competition Tier 1 winners, will represent Ghana in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[23]
  17. ^
    Guinea (GUI): The 2019–20 Guinée Championnat National was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Guinean Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea. Horoya and Ashanti de Siguiri, who were at first and second place after 13 rounds (last completed round at the time of abandonment), will represent Guinea in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[24]
  18. ^
    Ivory Coast (CIV): The 2019–20 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 was abandoned by the Ivorian Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ivory Coast. Racing Club Abidjan, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, will represent Ivory Coast in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[25]
  19. ^
    Kenya (KEN): The 2019–20 Kenyan Premier League was abandoned by the Football Kenya Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. Gor Mahia, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, will represent Kenya in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[26]
  20. ^
    Lesotho (LES): The 2019–20 Lesotho Premier League was abandoned by the Lesotho Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho. Bantu, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, will represent Lesotho in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[27]
  21. ^
    Liberia (LBR): The 2019–20 Liberian First Division League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Liberia Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Liberia. No team will represent Liberia in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[28]
  22. ^
    Libya (LBY): Al Nasr, the 2017–18 Libyan Premier League champions, and Al Ahly Benghazi, the runners-up, will represent Libya in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League, since the Libyan Premier League and Libyan Cup had been suspended by the Libyan Football Federation for two consecutive years due to the Libyan Civil War.[29]
  23. ^
    Madagascar (MAD): The 2019–20 Malagasy Pro League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Malagasy Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Madagascar. No team will represent Madagascar in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League, since Fosa Juniors, who were the 2019 THB Champions League champions, declined to enter.[30]
  24. ^
    Malawi (MWI): No team will represent Malawi in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League, since Nyasa Big Bullets, who were the 2019 Super League of Malawi champions, declined to enter.[31]
  25. ^
    Mauritius (MRI): The 2019–20 Mauritian Premier League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Mauritius Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritius. No team will represent Mauritius in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[32]
  26. ^
    Niger (NIG): The 2019–20 Niger Premier League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Nigerien Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Niger. AS SONIDEP, who were the 2018–19 Niger Premier League champions, will represent Niger in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[33]
  27. ^
    Nigeria (NGA): The 2019–20 Nigeria Professional Football League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Nigeria Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Plateau United and Enyimba, who were at first and second place (by points per game) at the time of abandonment, will represent Nigeria in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[34]
  28. ^
    Rwanda (RWA): The 2019–20 Rwanda Premier League was abandoned by the Rwanda Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda. APR, who were at first place after 23 rounds (last completed round at the time of abandonment, table considered final) and declared champions, will represent Rwanda in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[35]
  29. ^
    Senegal (SEN): The 2019–20 Senegal Premier League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Senegalese Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal. Tengueth, who were at first place at the time of abandonment, will represent Senegal in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[36]
  30. ^
    Sierra Leone (SLE): The 2019–20 Sierra Leone National Premier League was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the Sierra Leone Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone. No team will represent Sierra Leone in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[37]
  31. ^
    South Sudan (SSD): The 2020 South Sudan Football Championship was abandoned (season cancelled, title not awarded) by the South Sudan Football Association due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Sudan. No team will represent South Sudan in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[38]
  32. ^
    Togo (TOG): The 2019–20 Togolese Championnat National was abandoned by the Togolese Football Federation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Togo. ASKO Kara, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, will represent Togo in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[39]
  33. ^
    Uganda (UGA): The 2019–20 Uganda Premier League was abandoned by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda. Vipers, who were at first place at the time of abandonment (table considered final) and declared champions, will represent Uganda in the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[40]

Schedule

The start of the competition was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 1 September 2020, the CAF announced the new schedule.[7][41] 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).[42]

Schedule for 2020–21 CAF Champions League
Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Qualifying Preliminary round 9 November 2020 28–29 November 2020 4–6 December 2020
First round 22–23 December 2020 5–6 January 2021
Group stage Matchday 1 8 January 2021 12–13 February 2021
Matchday 2 23 February 2021
Matchday 3 5–6 March 2021
Matchday 4 16 March 2021
Matchday 5 2–3 April 2021
Matchday 6 9–10 April 2021
Knockout stage Quarter-finals 30 April 2021 14–16 May 2021 21–23 May 2021
Semi-finals 18–20 June 2021 25–27 June 2021
Final 17 July 2021

The original schedule of the competition, as planned before the pandemic, was as follows.[43]

Original schedule for 2020–21 CAF Champions League
Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Qualifying Preliminary round TBD 2020 7–9 August 2020 21–23 August 2020
First round 11–13 September 2020 25–27 September 2020
Group stage Matchday 1 7 October 2020 27–29 November 2020
Matchday 2 4–6 December 2020
Matchday 3 8–10 January 2021
Matchday 4 22–24 January 2021
Matchday 5 5–7 February 2021
Matchday 6 12–14 February 2021
Knockout stage Quarter-finals 17 February 2021 5–7 March 2021 19–21 March 2021
Semi-finals 9–11 April 2021 23–25 April 2021
Final 28 May 2021

Qualifying rounds
Main article: 2020–21 CAF Champions League qualifying rounds

The draw for the qualifying rounds was held on 9 November 2020 at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.[44][45] In the qualifying rounds, each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule would be applied, and if still tied, extra time would not be played, and the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (Regulations III. 13 & 14).[2]

Preliminary round
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Ashanti de Siguiri 1–4 Stade Malien 1–2 0–2
(awd.)[upper-alpha 1]
Gambia Armed Forces 1–3 Teungueth 1–1 0–2
RC Abidjan 2–2 (a) ASKO Kara 1–0 1–2
AS SONIDEP 4–0 Mogadishu City 2–0 2–0
Al Ahly Benghazi w/o[upper-alpha 2] Mekelle 70 Enderta — —
Gazelle w/o[upper-alpha 3][50]</ref> GR/SIAF — —
Forest Rangers 0–2 AS Bouenguidi 0–0 0–2
Jwaneng Galaxy 5–1 US Zilimadjou 4–0 1–1
Young Buffaloes 1–1 (a) Le Messager Ngozi 0–0 1–1
PWD Bamenda 0–1 Kaizer Chiefs 0–1 0–0
AS Otohô 1–3 Al Merrikh 1–1 0–2
Rahimo 1–2 Enyimba 0–1 1–1
FC Nouadhibou 1–3 Asante Kotoko 1–1 0–2
(awd.)[upper-alpha 4]
Vipers 0–2 Al Hilal 0–1 0–1
Buffles du Borgou 2–6 MC Alger 1–1 1–5
Mlandege 1–8 CS Sfaxien 0–5 1–3
Bantu 0–1 Nkana 0–1 0–0
Akonangui 2–3 Petro de Luanda 0–1 2–2
Costa do Sol 1–4 FC Platinum 1–2 0–2
Plateau United 0–1 Simba 0–1 0–0
CR Belouizdad 4–0 Al Nasr 2–0 2–0
APR 3–4 Gor Mahia 2–1 1–3

Notes:

  1. The preliminary round second leg match between Ashanti de Siguiri and Stade Malien could not be played after 4 of the 17 players from Ashanti de Siguiri tested positive for COVID-19. Thus, Ashanti de Siguiri were not able to name the required 15 players for holding the match, and subsequently, Stade Malien were awarded a technical 2–0 victory for the second leg by CAF in accordance with the regulations related to COVID-19.[46][47]
  2. Al Ahly Benghazi won on walkover after Mekelle 70 Enderta were not able to present themselves with 15 players (including 1 goalkeeper) for the first leg in Cairo citing the Tigray conflict.[48][49]
  3. Gazelle won on walkover after GR/SIAF failed to appear for the first leg in N'Djamena.<ref name='GR/SIAF 1'>Soliman, Seif (29 November 2020). "Zamalek find out first opponents in 2021 Champions League". Kingfut. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  4. The preliminary round second leg match between FC Nouadhibou and Asante Kotoko could not be played after 2 of the 16 players from FC Nouadhibou tested positive for COVID-19. Thus, FC Nouadhibou were not able to name the required 15 players for holding the match, and subsequently, Asante Kotoko were awarded a technical 2–0 victory for the second leg by CAF in accordance with the regulations related to COVID-19.[51][52]

First round

The 16 winners of the first round advanced to the group stage, while the 16 losers of the first round entered the Confederation Cup play-off round.

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Stade Malien 1–3 Wydad Casablanca 1–0 0–3
Teungueth 0–0 (3–1 p) Raja Casablanca 0–0 0–0
RC Abidjan 1–2 Horoya 1–1 0–1
AS SONIDEP 0–5 Al Ahly 0–1 0–4
Al Ahly Benghazi 2–3 Espérance de Tunis 0–0 2–3
Gazelle w/o[upper-alpha 1] Zamalek — —
AS Bouenguidi 2–4 TP Mazembe 1–2 1–2
Jwaneng Galaxy 1–5 Mamelodi Sundowns 0–2 1–3
Young Buffaloes 3–6 AS Vita Club 2–2 1–4
Kaizer Chiefs 1–0 1º de Agosto 0–0 1–0
Al Merrikh 4–2 Enyimba 3–0 1–2
Asante Kotoko 0–3 Al Hilal 0–1 0–2
(awd.)[upper-alpha 2]
MC Alger 2–1 CS Sfaxien 2–0 0–1
Nkana 1–2 Petro de Luanda 1–1 0–1
FC Platinum 1–4 Simba 1–0 0–4
CR Belouizdad 8–1 Gor Mahia 6–0 2–1

Notes:

  1. Gazelle failed to appear for the first leg in Cairo following disputes between the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the country and the Chadian Football Federation, which prevented the club from traveling to Egypt. As a result, Gazelle were disqualified from the competition by CAF, and Zamalek won on walkover.[53][54]
  2. The first round second leg match between Asante Kotoko and Al Hilal could not be played after 7 players from Asante Kotoko tested positive for COVID-19. Thus, Asante Kotoko were not able to name the required 15 players for holding the match, and subsequently, Al Hilal were awarded a technical 2–0 victory for the second leg by CAF in accordance with the regulations related to COVID-19.[55][56]

Group stage
Main article: 2020–21 CAF Champions League group stage

The draw for the group stage was held on 8 January 2021, 12:30 GMT (14:30 local time, UTC+2), at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.[57][58] The 16 teams, all winners of the first round of qualifying, were drawn into four groups of four.

The teams were seeded by their performances in the CAF competitions for the previous five seasons (CAF 5-Year Ranking points shown in parentheses). Each group contained one team from each of Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3, and Pot 4, and each team was allocated to the positions in their group according to their pot.[59][60]

Pot Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4
Teams

In the group stage, each group will be played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage.

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AHL VIT SIM MER
1 Al Ahly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage — 5–6 Mar 9–10 Apr 16 Feb
2 AS Vita Club 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16–17 Mar — 12 Feb 9–10 Apr
3 Simba 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 Feb 2–3 Apr — 16–17 Mar
4 Al Merrikh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2–3 Apr 23 Feb 5–6 Mar —
First match(es) will be played on 12 February 2021. Source: Soccerway

Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification TPM MSD HIL CRB
1 TP Mazembe 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage — 5–6 Mar 9–10 Apr 13 Feb
2 Mamelodi Sundowns 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16–17 Mar — 13 Feb 9–10 Apr
3 Al Hilal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 Feb 2–3 Apr — 16–17 Mar
4 CR Belouizdad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2–3 Apr 24 Feb 5–6 Mar —
First match(es) will be played on 13 February 2021. Source: Soccerway

Group C
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification WAC HOR PET KZC
1 Wydad Casablanca 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage — 5–6 Mar 9–10 Apr 13 Feb
2 Horoya 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16–17 Mar — 13 Feb 9–10 Apr
3 Petro de Luanda 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 Feb 2–3 Apr — 16–17 Mar
4 Kaizer Chiefs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2–3 Apr 23 Feb 5–6 Mar —
First match(es) will be played on 13 February 2021. Source: Soccerway

Group D
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification EST ZAM MCA TEU
1 Espérance de Tunis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage — 5–6 Mar 9–10 Apr 13 Feb
2 Zamalek 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16–17 Mar — 12 Feb 9–10 Apr
3 MC Alger 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 Feb 2–3 Apr — 16–17 Mar
4 Teungueth 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2–3 Apr 23 Feb 5–6 Mar —
First match(es) will be played on 12 February 2021. Source: Soccerway

See also

References
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  4. "New adopted format for Club Competitions". CAF. 30 May 2016.
  5. "CAF disowns club ranking published by some websites". Cafonline.com. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
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  14. "Covid-19: Cabo Verde cancela época desportiva". dw.com. 8 May 2020.
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