CAF 5-Year Ranking: Member association ranking, coefficients and point system explained
ZamFoot takes an in-depth look into CAF’s 5-Year Ranking with a focus on member association rankings for inter-club competitions, coefficients, and point systems.
The number of teams that each African football association sends into the CAF champions and CAF confederations is determined by CAF club coefficients and points of the member association. The ‘Top-12’ African club associations can send up to two teams in each competition, while the rest of the 44 associations can send only one team per competition.
The coefficients and points of each member association are calculated on how teams from each association perform in the competition within a 5-year ranking period.
You may be wondering, what is CAF’s coefficient system? CAF’s coefficient system is a set of numerical ratings given to each of its member associations and the clubs competing in its competitions.
These ratings together with points decide how many envoys each member association can send to compete in CAF inter-club competitions, and how the teams will be seeded in preliminary draws.
For comparison purposes, let us look at the 2020/21 CAF inter-club competitions, where the 5-Year Ranking was based on values from the 2016 to 2019/20 season.
The 2016 CAF inter-club competitions were the first to be considered. Being the first year, it carried the coefficient of one.
Next followed the 2017 CAF inter-club competitions, which carried the coefficient of two.
After that, 2018’s CAF inter-club competitions with a coefficient of three.
Thereafter, 2019’s CAF inter-club competition with a coefficient of four.
Finally, the 2019/2020 was the fifth season, therefore carried a coefficient of five.
In terms of points amounts for CAF Champions League allocation, Winners-6 points, Runners-up-5 points, Semi-Finalists-4 points, Quarter-finalist-3 points, Third in Group Stage-2 points, Fourth in and Group Stage-1 point.
As for the CAF Confederations Cup point allocation, Winners-5 points, Runners-up-4 points, Semi-Finalists-3 points, Quarter-finalist-2 points, Third in Group Stage-1 point, Fourth in and Group Stage-0.5 point.
To sum up, the coefficients are multiplied by the points obtained by teams from each member association in the two competitions accumulated over the previous 5-year ranking period respectively. The total sum value is then used to rank the member associations.
The ranking for next season’s CAF inter-club competitions was based on the performance of CAF member association teams during the period from 2017 to 2020/21 season. Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) ranked 9th with 35 points behind football associations from Nigeria, Guinea, DR Congo, South Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Morocco in ascending order.
Therefore, it is important that Zambia’s quartet of envoys in next season’s CAF continental competitions – Zesco United, Zanaco F.C, Red Arrows, and Kabwe Warriors advance to the later stages of their respective competitions.
Doing so will ensure that FAZ maintains its position in the ‘Top-12’ bracket of CAF member associations, guaranteed of 4 slots in CAF’s inter-club competitions.