The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the governing body of football (soccer) in Africa. Founded in 1957, CAF is responsible for organizing major football competitions and events in Africa, including the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the African Nations Championship (CHAN), and the African Champions League.
Enhancing the standard of football in Africa and boosting the ability of African teams to compete on a global scale are two of CAF's primary goals. This has been accomplished by creating several youth programs, coaching education programs, and infrastructure developments, as well as by planning international competitions and friendly games.
With its main office in Cairo, Egypt, CAF is made up of 54 member associations, each of which represents an African nation. In addition to organizing international competitions and events for the national teams and clubs, the organization is in charge of promoting and growing football in Africa.
CAF History
In Sudan's capital city of Khartoum, the Confederation of African Football was established. It was created via the union of two regional football federations, the Central African Football Federation and the North African Football Confederation.
Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Africa were the CAF's founding members. Abdelaziz Salem of Egypt served as the CAF's first president from 1957 to 1958.
Originally, CAF's main priority was managing the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which was first contested in Sudan in 1957. Initially just including four teams, the competition has since grown to feature 24 teams, making it one of the biggest football events in the world.
CAF Members & Zones
The 54 member associations that make up the Confederation of African Football (CAF) each represent an African nation. There are six zones that these member associations fall into. These are the Northern Zone, West Zone A, West Zone B, Central Zone, Central East Zone, and Southern Zone.
The members are listed below:
Algeria | Ethiopia | Namibia |
Angola | Gabon | Niger |
Benin | Gambia | Nigeria |
Botswana | Ghana | Rwanda |
Burkina Faso | Guinea | Sao Tome and Principe |
Burundi | Guinea-Bissau | Senegal |
Cameroon | Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) | Seychelles |
Cape Verde | Kenya | Sierra Leone |
Central African Republic | Lesotho | Somalia |
Chad | Liberia | South Africa |
Comoros | Libya | South Sudan |
Congo | Madagascar | Sudan |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Malawi | Tanzania |
Djibouti | Mali | Togo |
Egypt | Mauritania | Tunisia |
Equatorial Guinea | Mauritius | Uganda |
Eritrea | Morocco | Zambia |
Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) | Mozambique | Zimbabwe |
CAF Competitions
Following are some of the major competitions organised by the CAF:
Competition | Description | Number of Teams | Frequency |
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) | The premier national team competition in Africa | 24 | Biennial |
African Nations Championship (CHAN) | National team competition for African-based players | 16 | Biennial |
African Champions League | The premier club competition in Africa | 16 | Annual |
African Confederation Cup | Second-tier club competition in Africa | 16 | Annual |
African Super Cup | The annual match between the winners of the Champions League and Confederation Cup | 2 | Annual |
African Women's Cup of Nations | The premier women's national team competition in Africa | 12 | Biennial |
African Women's Champions League | The premier women's club competition in Africa | 8 | Annual |
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is essential to develop and promote football in Africa. In addition to continuing to work towards reaching its goals of raising the standard of football in Africa and making African teams more competitive on the global stage, the organisation has contributed to the development and success of African football. With its extensive workforce and committed resources, CAF is committed to advancing and growing football in Africa for the good of all.
