CAF Club Rankings: No NPFL Club Makes CAF’s Top 75 Beyond Rivers United, Enyimba

CAF Club Rankings: No NPFL Club Makes CAF’s Top 75 Beyond Rivers United, Enyimba 

By Admin 

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released its latest club rankings, and once again, only one Nigerian team has made the top 75 marking another concerning indicator of the declining fortunes of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on the continental stage, BSNSports.com.ng reports 

Egyptian giants Al Ahly retained their place as the No. 1 ranked club in Africa, followed by Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in second. Nigeria’s highest-placed club is Rivers United, sitting 24th, while former African champions Enyimba rank 35th.

The rankings, published ahead of the new CAF Champions League (CAFCL) and CAF Confederation Cup (CAFCC) seasons, are based on a five-year performance cycle, with more recent results weighted more heavily. This explains Rivers United’s higher ranking compared to Enyimba, as the Port Harcourt side has recorded relatively better continental outings in recent seasons.

However, the data underscores a broader decline. Rivers United are the only Nigerian club to have reached the CAF Champions League group stage in the past eight years, and in the newly released standings, no other Nigerian team appears in the top 75.

The top of the rankings is dominated by clubs that have enjoyed consistent success in recent CAF tournaments or participated in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup (United States edition). Following Al Ahly and Sundowns, the third to tenth positions are occupied by:

Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)

RS Berkane (Morocco)

Simba SC (Tanzania)

Pyramids FC (Egypt)

Zamalek SC (Egypt)

Wydad AC (Morocco)

USM Alger (Algeria)

CR Belouizdad (Algeria)

CAF allocates ranking points based on progression in its two flagship competitions. In the Champions League, winners earn six points, runners-up five, and semi-finalists four. In the Confederation Cup, champions receive five points, runners-up four, and semi-finalists three.

The release comes shortly after Rivers United’s 3–0 defeat to Pyramids FC in their Champions League opener, adding to concerns about the current competitiveness of Nigerian teams on the continental stage.