2014 CAF Confederation Cup explained

Tourney Name:CAF Confederation Cup
Year:2014
Other Titles:2014 Orange CAF Confederation Cup
Dates:7 February – 6 December 2014
Num Teams:53+8
Associations:42
Champion Other: Al-Ahly
Count:1
Second Other: Séwé Sport
Matches:134
Goals:285
Top Scorer: Kader Bidimbou
Kudakwashe Musharu
Koffi Foba
(6 goals each)
Prevseason:2013
Nextseason:2015

The 2014 CAF Confederation Cup (also known as the 2014 Orange CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 11th edition of the CAF Confederation Cup, Africa's secondary club football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The defending champions CS Sfaxien did not enter the tournament as they qualified for the 2014 CAF Champions League and reached the group stage.

In the final, Al-Ahly of Egypt defeated Séwé Sport of Côte d'Ivoire on the away goals rule after drawing 2–2 on aggregate, to win their first title, and a record-extending 19th overall African title (having already won eight African Champions Cup/CAF Champions League titles, six CAF Super Cup titles and four African Cup Winners' Cup titles).[1] They earned the right to play in the 2015 CAF Super Cup.[2]

Association team allocation

All 56 CAF member associations may enter the CAF Confederation Cup, with the 12 highest ranked associations according to their CAF 5-year ranking eligible to enter two teams in the competition. The title holders could also enter if they had not already qualified for the CAF Champions League or CAF Confederation Cup.[2] As a result, theoretically a maximum of 69 teams could enter the tournament (plus eight teams eliminated from the CAF Champions League which enter the play-off round) – although this level has never been reached.

For the 2014 CAF Confederation Cup, the CAF used the 2008–2012 CAF 5-year ranking, which calculated 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 were the following:[3]

CAF Champions LeagueCAF Confederation Cup
Winner5 points4 points
Runner-up4 points3 points
Losing semi-finalists3 points2 points
3rd place in groups2 points1 point
4th place in groups1 point1 point

The points were multiplied by a coefficient according to the year as follows:

Teams

The following teams entered the competition. Teams in bold received a bye to the first round. The other teams entered the preliminary round.

Associations are shown according to their 2008–2012 CAF 5-year ranking – those with a ranking score have their rank and score indicated.

AssociationTeamQualifying method
Associations eligible to enter two teams (Ranked 1–12)
Tunisia
Étoile du Sahel2012–13 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 third place
CA Bizertin2013 Tunisian Cup winner
Egypt
Ismaily2010–11 Egyptian Premier League third place
Wadi Degla2013 Egypt Cup runner-up
Nigeria
Bayelsa United2013 Nigeria Premier League third place
Warri Wolves2013 Nigerian FA Cup runner-up
Sudan
Al-Ahly Shendi2013 Sudan Premier League third place
Al-Ahli Atbara2013 Sudan Premier League fourth place
Morocco
MAS Fez2012–13 Botola third place
Difaâ El Jadidi2013 Coupe du Trône winner
Congo DR
CS Don Bosco2013 Linafoot third place
MK Etanchéité2013 Coupe du Congo winner
Algeria
CS Constantine
(one entrant only)
2012–13 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 third place
Mali
Djoliba2012–13 Malian Première Division third place
Club Olympique de Bamako2012–13 Malian Première Division fourth place
Congo
AS Kondzo2013 Congo Premier League third place
CARA Brazzaville2013 Congo Premier League fourth place
Angola
Petro de Luanda2013 Taça de Angola winner
Desportivo da Huíla2013 Taça de Angola runner-up
Cameroon
Union Douala2013 Elite One third place
Yong Sports Academy2013 Cameroonian Cup winner
Ghana
Ebusua Dwarfs2012–13 Ghanaian Premier League third place
Medeama2012–13 Ghanaian FA Cup winner
Associations eligible to enter one team
Zimbabwe
How Mine2013 Cup of Zimbabwe runner-up
Zambia
ZESCO United2013 Zambian Premier League runner-up
Ivory Coast
ASEC Mimosas2013 Coupe de Côte d'Ivoire de football winner
Libya
Al-Ahli Tripoli2013–14 Libyan Premier League group A leader after round 7
Niger
ASN Nigelec2013 Niger Cup winner
BotswanaGaborone United2013 Mascom Top 8 Cup winner
Burkina FasoAS SONABEL2013 Coupe du Faso runner-up
BurundiAcadémie Tchité2013 Burundian Cup winner
ChadASLAD2013 Chad Cup winner
Equatorial GuineaThe Panthers2013 Equatoguinean Cup winner
EthiopiaDefence Force2013 Ethiopian Cup winner
GabonCF Mounana2013 Coupe du Gabon Interclubs winner
GambiaGamtel2013 Gambian Cup winner
GuineaCI Kamsar2013 Guinée Coupe Nationale runner-up
Guinea-BissauEstrela de Cantanhez2013 Taça Nacional da Guiné Bissau winner
KenyaAFC Leopards2013 FKF President's Cup winner
LiberiaRed Lions2013 Liberian Cup runner-up
MadagascarASSM Elgeco Plus2013 Coupe de Madagascar winner
MozambiqueFerroviário da Beira2013 Taça de Moçambique winner
NamibiaAfrican Stars2013 NFA Cup winner
RwandaAS Kigali2013 Rwandan Cup winner
SenegalASC Diaraf2013 Senegal FA Cup winner
SeychellesSt Michel United2013 Seychelles FA Cup winner
Sierra LeoneRSLAF2013 Sierra Leone National Premier League runner-up
South AfricaSuperSport United2012–13 Nedbank Cup runner-up
South SudanAl-Malakia2013 South Sudan National Cup winner
TanzaniaAzam2012–13 Tanzanian Premier League runner-up
TogoAS Douanes Lomé2013 Togolese Championnat National runner-up
UgandaVictoria University2013 Ugandan Cup winner
ZanzibarChuoni2012–13 Zanzibar Premier League runner-up
Notes

In addition to the teams above, the following eight teams entered the play-off round.

TeamQualifying method
Al-AhlyLosers of the 2014 CAF Champions League second round
AS Real Bamako
Séwé Sport
Horoya
Coton Sport
AC Léopards
Kaizer Chiefs
Nkana

The following associations did not enter a team:

Schedule

The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws held at CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt unless otherwise stated).[4]

PhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond leg
QualifyingPreliminary round16 December 2013
(Marrakech, Morocco)[5]
7–9 February 201414–16 February 2014
First round28 February–2 March 20147–9 March 2014
Second round21–23 March 201428–30 March 2014
Play-off round1 April 2014[6] 18–20 April 201425–27 April 2014
Group stageMatchday 129 April 201416–18 May 2014
Matchday 223–25 May 2014
Matchday 36–8 June 2014
Matchday 425–27 July 2014
Matchday 58–10 August 2014
Matchday 622–24 August 2014
Knock-out stageSemi-finals19–21 September 201426–28 September 2014
Final28–30 November 20145–7 December 2014

Qualifying rounds

See main article: 2014 CAF Confederation Cup qualifying rounds.

The draw for the preliminary, first and second qualifying rounds was held on 16 December 2013.[7]

Qualification ties were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the sides were level on aggregate after the second leg, the away goals rule was applied, and if still level, the tie proceeded directly to a penalty shoot-out (no extra time was played).[2]

Preliminary round

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Notes

First round

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Second round

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Play-off round

The draw for the play-off round was held on 1 April 2014.[8] The winners of the Confederation Cup second round were drawn against the losers of the Champions League second round, with the former hosting the second leg.[2]

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Group stage

See main article: 2014 CAF Confederation Cup group stage.

The draw for the group stage was held on 29 April 2014.[9] The eight teams were drawn into two groups of four. Each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the semi-finals.

TiebreakersThe teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[2]
  1. Number of points obtained in games between the teams concerned
  2. Goal difference in games between the teams concerned
  3. Away goals scored in games between the teams concerned
  4. Goal difference in all games
  5. Goals scored in all games

Group B

Knock-out stage

See main article: 2014 CAF Confederation Cup knock-out stage.

Knock-out ties were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the sides were level on aggregate after the second leg, the away goals rule was applied, and if still level, the tie proceeded directly to a penalty shoot-out (no extra time was played).[2]

Semi-finals

In the semi-finals, the group A winners played the group B runners-up, and the group B winners played the group A runners-up, with the group winners hosting the second leg.[2]

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Final

See main article: 2014 CAF Confederation Cup Final.

In the final, the order of legs was decided by a draw, held after the group stage draw.

2–2 on aggregate. Al-Ahly won on the away goals rule.

Top scorers

RankPlayerTeamGoals
1 Kader Bidimbou AC Léopards6
Koffi Foba ASEC Mimosas6
Kudakwashe Musharu How Mine6
4 Roger Assalé Séwé Sport5
Kamilou Daouda Coton Sport5
Jocelyn Fenosoa St Michel United5
Ayoub Nanah Difaâ El Jadidi5
8 Césaire Gandzé AC Léopards4
Ladji Keita Petro de Luanda4
Ali Badra Sylla AS Real Bamako4

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Meteb's injury-time goal gives Ahly final triumph. CAF. 6 December 2014.
  2. Web site: Regulations of the CAF Confederation Cup. Confédération Africaine de Football. 19 October 2014.
  3. Web site: CAF disowns club ranking published by some websites. Cafonline.com. 9 June 2011. 14 December 2011.
  4. Web site: 2014 Competitions Calendar. Cafonline.com.
  5. Web site: Fixtures of 2014 Orange CAF Confederation Cup. Cafonline.com. 16 December 2013.
  6. Web site: Playoff draw for April 1. Cafonline.com. 26 March 2014.
  7. Web site: Fixtures of 2014 Orange CAF Confederation Cup. Cafonline.com. 16 December 2013.
  8. Web site: Results of draw of 2nd 1/8th round. Cafonline.com. 1 April 2014.
  9. Web site: Orange CAF Confereation group stage draw released. Cafonline.com. 29 April 2014.