2015 CAF Confederation Cup

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 can also enter if they have not qualified for the CAF Champions League. 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 2015 CAF Confederation Cup, the CAF uses the 2009–2013 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:

• 2013 – 5
• 2012 – 4
• 2011 – 3
• 2010 – 2
• 2009 – 1

Teams

The following 63 teams from 43 associations 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 2009–2013 CAF 5-year ranking – those with a ranking score have their rank and score indicated.

Schedule

The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws are held at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt).

Qualifying rounds

Main article: 2015 CAF Confederation Cup qualifying rounds

The draw for the preliminary, first and second qualifying rounds was held on 22 December 2014.

Qualification ties were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule would be applied, and if still level, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (no extra time would be played).

Preliminary round

First round

;Notes

Second round

Play-off round

The draw for the play-off round was held on 5 May 2015. 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.

Group stage

Main article: 2015 CAF Confederation Cup group stage

The draw for the group stage was held on 5 May 2015. 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.

;Tiebreakers The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers would be applied in the following order:

1. Number of points obtained in games between the teams concerned;
2. Goal difference in games between the teams concerned;
3. Goals scored in games between the teams concerned;
4. Away goals scored in games between the teams concerned;
5. If, after applying criteria 1 to 4 to several teams, two teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 4 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the two teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 6 to 9 apply;
6. Goal difference in all games;
7. Goals scored in all games;
8. Away goals scored in all games;
9. Drawing of lots.

Group A

Group B

Knockout stage

Main article: 2015 CAF Confederation Cup knockout stage

Knockout ties were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule would be applied, and if still level, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (no extra time would be played).

Bracket

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.

Final

Main article: 2015 CAF Confederation Cup Final

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

Étoile du Sahel won 2–1 on aggregate.

Top scorers

References

References

1. "Regulations of the CAF Confederation Cup". Confédération Africaine de Football.
2. (9 June 2011). "CAF disowns club ranking published by some websites". Cafonline.com.
3. (29 November 2014). "Two South African clubs for each Interclub Competition". CAF.
4. (28 February 2015). "CAF Full Calendar". CAFonline.com.
5. (22 December 2014). "Draws made for 2015 Orange Champions League, Confederations Cup". CAF.
6. (30 April 2015). "Twitter @CAF_Online". CAF.
7. "12th Edition of CAF Confederation Cup CC 2015". CAF.
8. (14 March 2015). "Dolphins bundled out of Caf Confederation Cup". Goal.com.
9. (19 March 2015). "Dolphins Eliminated". CAF.
10. (5 May 2015). "Live report: CAF Interclubs draw". CAFonline.com.