CAF Revises Club Competition Fixtures
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revised its CAF club competition fixtures ahead of the new season, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report
The move comes after the body decided to host the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Cameroon in April 2020 in what is now an even more squeezed schedule for African football next year.
CAF decided last week at its executive committee meeting in Cairo that CHAN 2020 (the African Nations Championship, for locally-based players) would take place from 4-25 April.
The move now means that the group phase of both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup will now take place in just two months; the move also having a major impact on domestic leagues.
Crammed Fixtures
The start of the group phase of both competitions, set for this coming weekend, is not affected, as is the case with the next two rounds but the final three match-days, set for February and March, will now be crammed into January and the first two days of February.
The quarter-final draw is being brought forward a full month to 9 February and the knockout phase will now commence at the end of February rather than in April as previously scheduled.
The two legs of the semi-finals will now take place over the first two weekends of May with the finals at the end of the month with CAF, for the first time, introducing a single final at a neutral venue for both competitions.
The Confederation Cup final is on 24 May and the Champions League final on 29 May but the venues are yet to be settled.
CAF Revised Calendar
Group phase
Matchday 1: Nov 29-Dec 1
Matchday 2: Dec 6-8
Matchday 3: Dec 27-29
Matchday 4: Jan 10-12
Matchday 5: Jan 24-26
Matchday 6: Jan 31-Feb 2
Quarter-final
First leg: Feb 28-March 1
Second leg: March 6-8
Semi-final
First leg: May 1-3
Second leg: May 8-10
Confederation Cup final: May 24
Champions League final: May 29