The CAF Confederation Cup, officially named Total CAF Confederation Cup, is an annual club association football competition organised by the CAF since 2004.
Clubs qualify for the competition based on their performance in their national leagues and cup competitions.
It is the second-tier competition of African club football, ranking below the CAF Champions League. The winner of the tournament faces the winner of the CAF Champions League in the following season’s CAF Super Cup.
History
In 2004, the CAF Confederation Cup was founded as the merger of CAF Cup and African Cup Winners’ Cup.
In 2004, Accra Hearts of Oak became the first club to win the cup. In 2013, CS Sfaxien became the first club to win three trophies after defeating TP Mazembe in the final.
Qualification
The domestic cup winners from all 55 CAF member associations are eligible to participate. The third-placed club in the domestic league of the top twelve placed CAF member associations also qualify.
Format
The competition is played into two phases A and B.
Phase A
The matches of the Preliminary Rounds and the Round of 32 are played according to the knockout system with ties broken via the Away goals rule.
The sixteen teams eliminated from the pre-quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League will automatically qualify to play the additional pre-quarterfinals round of the CAF Confederation Cup.
Phase B
The sixteen teams which will qualify for the group matches from the additional 1/16th finals will be divided in four groups of four each.
Each team shall play six matches against the other three opponents one match home and one match away and points granted upon the 3-1-0 system.
The group winners and runners-up qualify to knock-out rounds which shall be played in two matches, home and away in three rounds (quarter-finals, semi-finals and the finals).
In case of equality in the number of goals scored during the two matches, the team scoring the greatest number of away goals will be declared the winner.
If the number of goals scored on the away matches is equal, kicks from the penalty mark will be taken.