This archive report was first published on 13 July 2020.
Published on July 13, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world of sports to a standstill, and Africa is no exception. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) is considering a major revamp of its club competitions for the 2020/2021 season due to the reduced matchdays caused by the pandemic.
The traditional format of the Caf Champions League, which takes 15 weekends from start to finish, and the second-tier Caf Confederation Cup, which requires 17 weekends, may be scrapped in favor of a more condensed schedule. According to a senior Caf official, dropping the group stages and play-offs in the Confederation Cup are possibilities.
The official, who wished to remain anonymous, suggested that the 15 weekends currently needed for the Champions League could be cut in half to seven and a half. This could be achieved by reducing the number of qualifying rounds and staging a mini-tournament over eight days to produce champions.
Another proposal is to scrap the play-offs in the Confed Cup, allowing the same system to be applied to that competition, reducing 17 weekends to just seven and a half.
