16 Clubs for Group Phase of Champions League and Confederation Cup effective 2017

Effective 2017, the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup will see major new reforms.

Sixteen (16) clubs divided into four groups of four will participate at the group stages instead of the current eight at the pool stage.

The new format was one of the key highlights of the speech by CAF President Issa Hayatou, in his address at the 38th CAF Ordinary General Assembly held on Wednesday, 11 May 2016 in Mexico City, Mexico.

In attendance was FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was at the supreme and legislative meeting of the continent’s football governing body for the first time since assuming the leadership of the world governing body.

He was accompanied by Samuel Eto'o Fils, Luis Figo, Zvonimir Boban, football legends invited by FIFA for a gala match at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City.

Hayatou also unveiled the CAF’s progression in the wake of the new reforms implemented by FIFA, now at its implementation phase. He mentioned the establishment, composition and the roadmap of a working group on the CAF reforms to delegates representing the 54 member associations.

The working group will be chaired by CAF Executive Committee Mohamed Raouraoua, and are expected to submit their report in the month of September, which will be subject to the approval of the Executive Committee and the General Assembly. For this purpose, an Extraordinary General Assembly has been fixed for Thursday, 29 September 2016 in Cairo, Egypt September 29, 2016 to proceed with the adoption of the reforms.

In his address, the CAF President highlighted on the report of activities and performance of African teams at major competitions since the last General Assembly, almost a year ago.

He laid emphasis on the outstanding performance of African teams at the FIFA U-20 World and FIFA U-17 World Cup, both in 2015.

“It becomes clearly apparent that a better representation of our continent at those levels in the World Cup would just be justice. The consistency of the performances of African teams in these age-category competitions advocates that,” said Hayatou, who also touched on the continued commitment to invest "without any weakness to the preservation and respect of the pillars” that CAF underpins: unity and solidarity.

Like any ordinary session of the General Assembly, the 38th edition confirmed the financial health of CAF, which stands at $ 126,559,000 as at 30 June 2015.

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