The latest CAF Clubs’ Rankings for the 2025–26 season have been released, confirming Egypt’s Al Ahly as Africa’s most successful club over the past five years.

Key Takeaways

• Top Five Standouts
  1. Al Ahly (Egypt) – 78 points
  2. Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia) – 57 points
  3. RS Berkane (Morocco) – 52 points
  4. Simba SC (Tanzania) – 48 points
• North African Clubs Dominate: Clubs from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria occupy the majority of the top ten positions, reflecting both historic success and recent strong performances.
• Nigeria’s Best Clubs:
  • Rivers United have emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked club, placing 24th with 14 points, largely due to more consistent showings in CAF inter-club competitions over recent seasons.
  • Enyimba FC, despite its decorated history, slots in at 35th with 7 points, showing a drop in continental competitiveness.
• Absence from Top-20: No Nigerian club is in the top 20 of the CAF rankings. This underlines the challenges faced by clubs from the NPFL in matching the consistency of their North and Southern African counterparts.

What It Means

• Seeding & Draw Implications: The rankings will influence seeding for the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup draws, potentially affecting the paths clubs must navigate in preliminary rounds.
• Performance Pressure: For clubs like Rivers United, maintaining or improving current performance is key to staying ahead of rivals; for Enyimba and others, the rankings are a wake-up call to reverse recent downward trends.
• Regional Trends: The dominance of clubs from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia suggests that investment, infrastructure, and tournament experience continue to play a strong role in ensuring continental success. East Africa’s Simba SC making the top five also highlights a shifting landscape in some quarters.