CAF President on Al Ahly's participation in the Champions League: We will do what serves the best interests of the tournament.

2 weeks ago

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Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football

Ahmed Salem

The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, said that the request of the Egyptian Football Association to increase the number of Egyptian clubs participating in the African Champions League starting from the 2026-2027 season will be studied, stressing that the final decision will be made in the best interest of African football.

Al Ahly Club hopes to participate in the African Championship this season by decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), due to its low ranking in the Egyptian Premier League table last season, which prevents its participation in the tournament, according to the regulations and laws in place.

Motsepe explained, during a press conference held by the African Union to discuss a number of files related to continental competitions before the start of the new season, that all proposals submitted to CAF are evaluated by the competent authorities within the Union before any decision is made regarding them.

He said: “Any proposal submitted to us, including Egypt’s request to increase the number of teams participating in the African Champions League, is subject to study, and we will make the decision that best serves the interests of African football.”.

CAF president praises Egypt's participation in the World Cup

In another context, the CAF president praised the performance of the African teams in the World Cup, expressing his pride in what they had achieved, and stressing that the results they had achieved reflect the continuous development of football in the continent.

He added that the qualification of approximately 90% African teams to the round of 32 of the tournament represents an important achievement, noting that the African Union has become more convinced of the ability of the continent’s teams to compete in future editions.

Motsepe stressed that Africa has a clear ambition to see an African team win the World Cup title, emphasizing that the continent's teams have become capable of competing with the strongest teams in the world.