2017 CAF Champions League

The 2017 CAF Champions League (officially the 2017 Total CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons)^[1] 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.

2017 CAF Champions League

2017 Total CAF Champions League
Tournament details
Dates	10 February – 4 November 2017
Teams	55 (from 43 associations)
Final positions
Champions	Wydad AC (2nd title)
Runners-up	Al Ahly
Tournament statistics
Matches played	138
Goals scored	318 (2.3 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Taha Yassine Khenissi (7 goals)
← 2016 2018 →

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.^[2][3]

Wydad AC defeated Al Ahly in the final to win their second African Cup of Champions Clubs/CAF Champions League title,^[4] 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.^[5] Mamelodi Sundowns were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Wydad Casablanca.

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.^[5] 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:^[6]

	CAF Champions League	CAF Confederation Cup
Winners	5 points	4 points
Runners-up	4 points	3 points
Losing semi-finalists	3 points	2 points
3rd place in groups	2 points	1 point
4th place in groups	1 point	1 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.

Association	Team	Qualifying method
Associations eligible to enter two teams (Ranked 1–12)
Tunisia (1st – 100 pts)	Étoile du Sahel	2015–16 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions
	Espérance de Tunis	2015–16 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up
Egypt (2nd – 80 pts)	Al Ahly	2015–16 Egyptian Premier League champions
	Zamalek	2015–16 Egyptian Premier League runners-up
DR Congo (3rd – 69 pts)	TP Mazembe	2015–16 Linafoot champions
	AS Vita Club	2015–16 Linafoot runners-up
Algeria (4th – 64 pts)	USM Alger	2015–16 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champions
	JS Saoura	2015–16 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 runners-up
Sudan (5th – 51 pts)	Al-Hilal	2016 Sudan Premier League champions
	Al-Merrikh	2016 Sudan Premier League runners-up
South Africa (6th – 27 pts)	Mamelodi Sundowns	Title holders (2016 CAF Champions League winners) 2015–16 South African Premier Division champions
	Bidvest Wits	2015–16 South African Premier Division runners-up
Congo (T-7th – 24 pts)	AC Léopards	2016 Congo Ligue 1 champions
	Diables Noirs	2016 Congo Ligue 1 runners-up
Morocco (T-7th – 24 pts)	FUS Rabat	2015–16 Botola champions
	Wydad AC	2015–16 Botola runners-up
Ivory Coast (T-9th – 23 pts)	AS Tanda	2015–16 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 champions
	Séwé Sport	2015–16 Côte d'Ivoire Ligue 1 runners-up
Mali (T-9th – 23 pts)	Stade Malien	2016 Malian Première Division champions
	AS Real Bamako	2016 Malian Première Division runners-up
Cameroon (11th – 19 pts)	UMS de Loum	2016 Elite One champions
	Coton Sport	2016 Elite One runners-up
Nigeria (12th – 12 pts)	Enugu Rangers	2016 Nigeria Professional Football League champions
	Rivers United	2016 Nigeria Professional Football League runners-up
Associations eligible to enter one team
Angola (13th – 7 pts)	1º de Agosto	2016 Girabola champions
Ghana (T-14th – 4 pts)	Wa All Stars	2016 Ghanaian Premier League champions
Libya (T-14th – 4 pts)	Al-Ahli Tripoli	2016 Libyan Premier League champions
Zambia (T-14th – 4 pts)	Zanaco	2016 Zambia Super League champions
Ethiopia (17th – 3 pts)	Saint George	2015–16 Ethiopian Premier League champions
Botswana	Township Rollers	2015–16 Botswana Premier League champions
Burkina Faso	Rail Club du Kadiogo	2015–16 Burkinabé Premier League champions
Burundi	Vital'O	2015–16 Burundi Premier League champions
Comoros	Ngaya Club	2016 Comoros Premier League champions
Equatorial Guinea	Sony Elá Nguema	2015–16 Equatoguinean Primera División champions
Gabon	CF Mounana	2015–16 Gabon Championnat National D1 champions
Gambia	Gambia Ports Authority	2015–16 GFA League First Division champions
Guinea	Horoya	2015–16 Guinée Championnat National champions
Kenya	Tusker	2016 Kenyan Premier League champions
Lesotho	Lioli	2015–16 Lesotho Premier League champions
Liberia	Barrack Young Controllers	2016 Liberian First Division League champions
Madagascar	CNaPS Sport	2016 THB Champions League champions
Mauritius	AS Port-Louis 2000	2015–16 Mauritian Premier League champions
Mozambique	Ferroviário Beira	2016 Moçambola champions
Niger	AS FAN	2015–16 Niger Premier League champions
Réunion	Saint-Louisienne	2015 Réunion Premier League runners-up[Note REU]
Rwanda	APR	2015–16 Rwanda National Football League champions
Senegal	US Gorée	2015–16 Senegal Premier League champions
Seychelles	Côte d'Or	2016 Seychelles First Division champions
Sierra Leone	Johansen	2016 Sierra Leonean FA Cup winners[Note SLE]
South Sudan	Atlabara	2015 South Sudan Football Championship champions[Note SSD]
Swaziland	Royal Leopards	2015–16 Swazi Premier League champions
Tanzania	Young Africans	2015–16 Tanzanian Premier League champions
Uganda	KCCA	2015–16 Uganda Super League champions
Zanzibar	Zimamoto	2015–16 Zanzibar Premier League champions
Zimbabwe	CAPS United	2016 Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League champions

Notes

1. ^
   Réunion (REU): Réunion were represented by Saint-Louisienne, 2015 Réunion Premier League runners-up, as the 2016 Réunion Premier League was not completed by the end of the year.
2. ^
   Sierra Leone (SLE): Sierra Leone were represented by Johansen, the 2016 Sierra Leonean FA Cup winners, as the league was not played in 2016.
3. ^
   South Sudan (SSD): South Sudan were represented by Atlabara, the 2015 South Sudan Football Championship champions, as the league was not played in 2016.

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

Diables Noirs

Léopards

Bamako

Wydad AC

FAN

All Stars

1º de Agosto

Horoya

Espérance de Tunis

Greater Cairo

Rail Kadiogo

Omdurman

Mazembe

Étoile du Sahel

Vita Club

JS Saoura

Gauteng

FUS Rabat

Tanda

Séwé Sport

Loum

Coton Sport

Rangers

Rivers United

Al-Ahli Tripoli

Zanaco

Saint George

Township Rollers

Vital'O

Elá Nguema

Mounana

Ports Authority

Tusker

Lioli

BYC

CNaPS Sport

Port-Louis

Ferroviário Beira

Saint-Louisienne

APR

Gorée

Côte d'Or

Johansen

Atlabara

Royal Leopards

Young Africans

KCCA

CAPS United

Ngaya Club

Zimamoto

USM Alger

Bamako teams
Stade Malien
Real BamakoGauteng teams
Bidvest Wits
Mamelodi SundownsGreater Cairo teams
Al Ahly
ZamalekOmdurman teams
Al-Hilal
Al-Merrikh

Location of teams of the 2017 CAF Champions League.
Red: Preliminary round; Green: First Round;
Brown: Group A; Orange: Group B; Yellow: Group C; Blue: Group D.

Schedule

The schedule of the competition was as follows (matches scheduled in midweek in italics).^[7][8]

Phase	Round	Draw date	First leg	Second leg
Qualifying	Preliminary round	21 December 2016 (Cairo, Egypt)	10–12 February 2017	17–19 February 2017
	First round		10–12 March 2017	17–19 March 2017
Group stage	Matchday 1	26 April 2017 (Cairo, Egypt)	12–14 May 2017
	Matchday 2		23–24 May 2017
	Matchday 3		2–4 June 2017
	Matchday 4		20–21 June 2017
	Matchday 5		30 June – 2 July 2017
	Matchday 6		7–9 July 2017
Knockout stage	Quarter-finals		15–17 September 2017	22–24 September 2017
	Semi-finals		29 September – 1 October 2017	20–22 October 2017
	Final		27–29 October 2017	3–5 November 2017

The calendar was amended from the original one for the following dates:^[8]

• 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

Main article: 2017 CAF Champions League qualifying rounds

The draw for the preliminary round and first round was held on 21 December 2016 at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.^[9][10] 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).^[5]

Preliminary round

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Rail Club du Kadiogo	3–1	Diables Noirs	3–0	0–1
Sony Elá Nguema	1–5	Al-Merrikh	0–1	1–4
AS Real Bamako	0–4	Rivers United	0–0	0–4
AS Tanda	4–3	AS FAN	3–0	1–3
US Gorée	1–2	Horoya	0–0	1–2
Johansen	1–4	FUS Rabat	1–1	0–3
Wa All Stars	1–5	Al-Ahli Tripoli	1–3	0–2
KCCA	2–2 (a)	1º de Agosto	1–0	1–2
CF Mounana	3–0	Vital'O	2–0	1–0
Zanaco	1–0	APR	0–0	1–0
Ngaya Club	2–6	Young Africans	1–5	1–1
Barrack Young Controllers	1–1 (7–6 p)	Stade Malien	1–0	0–1
Zimamoto	3–4	Ferroviário Beira	2–1	1–3
JS Saoura	1–1 (a)	Enugu Rangers	1–1	0–0
Royal Leopards	1–4	AS Vita Club	0–1	1–3
Gambia Ports Authority	1–0	Séwé Sport	1–0	0–0
CNaPS Sport	4–4 (a)	Township Rollers	2–1	2–3
Coton Sport	7–2	Atlabara	2–0	5–2
Saint-Louisienne	3–4	Bidvest Wits	2–1	1–3
Lioli	1–2	CAPS United	0–0	1–2
Côte d'Or	0–5	Saint George	0–2	0–3
AC Léopards	2–2 (a)	UMS de Loum	1–0	1–2
Tusker	2–3	AS Port-Louis 2000	1–1	1–2

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.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
USM Alger	2–1	Rail Club du Kadiogo	2–0	0–1
Rivers United	3–4	Al-Merrikh	3–0	0–4
Étoile du Sahel	5–1	AS Tanda	3–0	2–1
Espérance de Tunis	4–3	Horoya	3–1	1–2
Al-Ahli Tripoli	3–3 (a)	FUS Rabat	2–0	1–3
Mamelodi Sundowns	3–2	KCCA	2–1	1–1
Wydad AC	1–1 (5–4 p)	CF Mounana	1–0	0–1
Young Africans	1–1 (a)	Zanaco	1–1	0–0
Ferroviário Beira	2–2 (4–1 p)	Barrack Young Controllers	2–0	0–2
Zamalek	5–3	Enugu Rangers	4–1	1–2
Gambia Ports Authority	1–3	AS Vita Club	1–1	0–2
Coton Sport	2–1	CNaPS Sport	1–0	1–1
Al Ahly	1–0	Bidvest Wits	1–0	0–0
TP Mazembe	1–1 (a)	CAPS United	1–1	0–0
AC Léopards	0–3	Saint George	0–1	0–2
Al-Hilal	5–2	AS Port-Louis 2000	3–0	2–2

Group stage

Main article: 2017 CAF Champions League 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

The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations III. 20 & 21):[5] Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams; Goal difference in all group matches; Goals scored in all group matches; Away goals scored in all group matches; Drawing of lots.

Group A

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		ESS	CFB	MER	HIL
1	Étoile du Sahel	6	3	3	0	13	4	+9	12	Quarter-finals		—	5–0	3–0 (awd.)[a]	1–1
2	Ferroviário Beira	6	2	2	2	6	8	−2	8			1–1	—	1–0	0–0
3	Al-Merrikh	6	2	1	3	6	9	−3	7			1–2	2–1	—	2–1
4	Al-Hilal	6	0	4	2	4	8	−4	4			1–1	0–3 (awd.)[a]	1–1	—

Source: CAF
Notes:

1. FIFA suspended the Sudan Football Association on 7 July 2017.^[11] As a result, both Al-Hilal and Al-Merrikh could not play their final group matches against Ferroviário Beira and Étoile du Sahel respectively, and the matches were awarded as 3–0 wins to their opponents.^[12]

Group B

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		USM	AHT	ZAM	CAP
1	USM Alger	6	3	2	1	12	5	+7	11	Quarter-finals		—	3–0	2–0	4–1
2	Al-Ahli Tripoli	6	2	3	1	11	10	+1	9			1–1	—	0–0	4–2
3	Zamalek	6	1	3	2	6	8	−2	6[a]			1–1	2–2	—	2–0
4	CAPS United	6	2	0	4	10	16	−6	6[a]			2–1	2–4	3–1	—

Source: CAF
Notes:

1. Head-to-head results: Zamalek 2–0 CAPS United, CAPS United 3–1 Zamalek (Zamalek won on away goals).

Group C

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		EST	MSD	STG	VIT
1	Espérance de Tunis	6	3	3	0	11	4	+7	12	Quarter-finals		—	0–0	4–0	3–1
2	Mamelodi Sundowns	6	2	3	1	6	4	+2	9			1–2	—	0–0	1–1
3	Saint George	6	1	2	3	2	7	−5	5[a]			0–0	0–1	—	1–0
4	AS Vita Club	6	1	2	3	7	11	−4	5[a]			2–2	1–3	2–1	—

Source: CAF
Notes:

1. Head-to-head results: Saint George 1–0 AS Vita Club, AS Vita Club 2–1 Saint George (Saint George won on away goals).

Group D

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		WAC	AHL	ZAN	COT
1	Wydad AC	6	4	0	2	7	3	+4	12	Quarter-finals		—	2–0	1–0	2–0
2	Al Ahly	6	3	2	1	7	3	+4	11[a]			2–0	—	0–0	3–1
3	Zanaco	6	3	2	1	4	2	+2	11[a]			1–0	0–0	—	2–1
4	Coton Sport	6	0	0	6	2	12	−10	0			0–2	0–2	0–1	—

Source: CAF
Notes:

1. Head-to-head results: Al-Ahly 0–0 Zanaco, Zanaco 0–0 Al-Ahly (tied on head-to-head results, ranked on total goal difference).

Knockout stage

Main article: 2017 CAF Champions League knockout stage

In the knockout stage, the eight teams played a single-elimination tournament. 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. 26 & 27).^[5]

Bracket

	Quarter-finals						Semi-finals						Final
	Al Ahli Tripoli	0	0	0
	Étoile du Sahel	0	2	2
							Étoile du Sahel	2	2	4
							Al Ahly	1	6	7
	Al Ahly	2	2	4
	Espérance de Tunis	2	1	3
													Al Ahly	1	0	1
													Wydad AC	1	1	2
	Ferroviário Beira	1	0	1 (a)
	USM Alger	1	0	1 (a)
							USM Alger	0	1	1
							Wydad AC	0	3	3
	Mamelodi Sundowns	1	0	1 (2)
	Wydad AC	0	1	1 (3)

Quarter-finals

In the quarter-finals, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group, with the group winners hosting the second leg.^[5]

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Al Ahli Tripoli	0–2	Étoile du Sahel	0–0	0–2
Al Ahly	4–3	Espérance de Tunis	2–2	2–1
Ferroviário Beira	1–1 (a)	USM Alger	1–1	0–0
Mamelodi Sundowns	1–1 (2–3 p)	Wydad AC	1–0	0–1

Semi-finals

In the semi-finals, the four quarter-final winners played in two ties, with the order of legs decided by an additional draw held after the group stage draw.^[13]

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Étoile du Sahel	4–7	Al Ahly	2–1	2–6
USM Alger	1–3	Wydad AC	0–0	1–3

Final

Main article: 2017 CAF Champions League Final

In the final, the two semi-final winners played each other, with the order of legs decided by an additional draw held after the group stage draw.^[14]

28 October 2017 (2017-10-28)

19:00 UTC+2

Al Ahly	1–1	Wydad AC
Zakaria 3'	Report	Bencharki 16'

Borg El Arab Stadium, Alexandria

Attendance: 60,000

Referee: Bamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)

4 November 2017 (2017-11-04)

20:00 UTC+0

Wydad AC	1–0	Al Ahly
El Karti 69'	Report

Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca

Attendance: 65,000

Referee: Bakary Gassama (Gambia)

Wydad Casablanca won 2–1 on aggregate.

Top goalscorers

  Team eliminated / inactive for this round.

Rank	Player	Team	MD1	MD2	MD3	MD4	MD5	MD6	QF1	QF2	SF1	SF2	F1	F2	Total
1	Taha Yassine Khenissi	ES Tunis	1		2		2		1	1					7
2	Achraf Bencharki	Wydad AC					1	1				2	1		5
3	Walid Azaro	Al Ahly							1			3			4
	Oussama Darfalou	USM Alger	1					2	1
	Tady Etekiama	AS Vita Club				2	2
6	Diogo Acosta	Étoile du Sahel	2	1											3
	Junior Ajayi	Al Ahly		1	1					1
	Brian Amidu	CAPS United					2	1
	Farouk Chafaï	USM Alger	1		1		1
	Ronald Chitiyo	CAPS United		2		1
	Walid El Karti	Wydad AC				1						1		1
	Ronald Pfumbidzai	CAPS United			1	1	1
	Moamen Zakaria	Al Ahly		1	1								1

Prize money

In 2017, the fixed amount of prize money paid to the clubs is as follows: ^[15]

Final position	Money awarded to club	National Association share 5%
Winner	US$2,500,000	US$125,000
Runners-up	US$1,250,000	US$62,500
Semi-finalists	US$800,000	US$40,000
Quarter-finalists	US$650,000	US$32,500
3rd in group stage	US$550,000	US$27,500
4th in group stage	US$550,000	US$27,500

See also

• 2017 CAF Confederation Cup
• 2017 FIFA Club World Cup
• 2018 CAF Super Cup