2017 CAF Champions League
| 2017 Total CAF Champions League | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Dates | 10 February – 5 November 2017 |
| Teams | 55 (from 43 associations) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 78 |
| Goals scored | 179 (2.29 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |
 Saladin Said (5 goals)
|
The 2017 CAF Champions League (officially the 2017 Total CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) is 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 format.
Starting from this season, the group stage will be expanded from eight to 16 teams, divided into four groups of four.According to these changes the total matches to be played in the tournament will increase by 16 matches due to the extra 8 teams involved in group stage.
The winners of the 2017 CAF Champions League will qualify as the CAF representative at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and also earn the right to play against the winners of the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup in the 2018 CAF Super Cup.Mamelodi Sundowns are the defending champions.
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. The title holders can also enter. As a result, theoretically a maximum of 69 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:
The points are multiplied by a coefficient according to the year as follows:
The following 55 teams from 43 associations entered the competition.
Associations are shown according to their 2011–2015 CAF 5-Year Ranking – those with a ranking score have their rank and score indicated.
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