CAF will reportedly excempt some of Africa's biggest sides from the preliminary stages of the CAF inter-continental club competitions.
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According to Egyptian publication Filgoal, African football's governing body will exempt 10 African giants from participating in the CAF Champions League preliminary group stages and 12 other sides from partaking in the same stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.
These teams are determined by a cumulative points system CAF has devised, and the 10 highest ranked teams, as per this classification, will only enter the Champions League once the competition reaches its Round of 32 phase.
They are Al Ahly of Egypt, Morocco's Wydad Athletic Club, fellow north African outfit Esperance de Tunis, DStv Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns, Sven Vandenbroeck-led CR Belouizdad, Tanzanian giants Simba, Fagrie Lakay's Pyramids, Petro de Luanda of Angola, five-time African champions TP Mazembe and Horoya of Guinea.
As far as the Confederation Cup is concerned, the teams exempted are Egyptian juggernauts Zamalek, two-time champions RS Berkane, reigning champions USM Alger, Rivers United from Nigeria, CSMD Diables Noirs and FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo, who are both from the Democratic Republic of Congo, GD Sagrada Esperanca, Egyptian side Future FC and Tunis-based Club Africain.
The three remaining sides are still to be confirmed by CAF themselves, according to the same report.
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While the report fails to mention the exact reason why these teams will only enter their respective tournaments at a later stage, some believe this could be a move to facilitate the inception of the first-ever edition of the Africa Football League (formerly known as the African Super League), which is set to begin in October.
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