South Africa will maintain its allocation of two spots each in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup for the upcoming 2024/2025 season.

This is primarily due to Mamelodi Sundowns’ impressive run to the Champions League semifinals for the second consecutive year. Their journey was halted by ES Esperance of Tunisia, who ultimately fell short against Percy Tau’s Al Ahly in the final.

Orlando Pirates, who reached the Champions League final in 2013, suffered a disappointing early exit in the second preliminary round against Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy. Meanwhile, both SuperSport United and Sekhukhune United failed to progress beyond the group stages of the Confederation Cup.

On Monday, CAF confirmed the registration period for member associations to register qualified clubs on the CAF Competitions Management System (CMS). South Africa’s representatives will be:

• CAF Champions League: Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates
• CAF Confederations Cup: Sekhukhune United and Stellenbosch FC

CAF Interclub Season Key Dates:

• Preliminary Round: August 16-18, 2024
• Group Stages: October – December 2024
• Knockout Phase and Finals: March – May 2025

CAF Interclub Season Registration Windows:

• July 1-20: Players participating in the Preliminary Round
• July 21-August 31: Players participating in the Second Preliminary Round
• September 1-30: Players participating in the Group Stages
• January 1-31, 2025: Maximum of seven additional players, including four replacements

Competition Format Changes:

The previously planned addition of a second preliminary round for the CAF Confederation Cup has been scrapped. Consequently, teams eliminated in the second round of the Champions League will no longer be transferred to the Confederation Cup. Clubs advancing from the Confederation Cup’s second preliminary round will proceed directly to the group stage.

Picture courtesy of CAF