The CAF competition is no doubt the biggest competition in Africa when it comes to club competitions, and since it’s advent in 1964, the competition had witnessed different winners from different regions all across Africa.
The competition started as an African Cup of Champions Clubs, and the first team to lift the trophy was Cameroonian side Oryx Douala who defeats Stade Malien of Mali in a one-off final.
The aftermath of the first edition final, the competition wasn’t held the following year, but the action resumed again in 1966, the season which kicked start the two-legged home and away final.
Since then, the CAF competition was dominated by clubs from central African countries up till 1980. The following year 1981, which was the beginning of a decade, the North African clubs broke the hegemony of the clubs from the Central African countries and other regions, and since then they started dominating the CAF competition.
The dominance lasted up till the end of that decennium, however, only one club from the West African region did flexed muscles with the North African club sides, but couldn’t push them off the radar as their dominance won them 9 trophies out of 10 that lasted up till the beginning of a new decade.
1991 kicked start a new decennary for the North African club sides, as their dominance on the continent continued with them winning 70 % of a 100% out of the CAF competition.
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However few club sides from other regions did flexed muscles with them, but the level of preparation and the caliber of players the North African club sides paraded was the difference between them and the other regions.
In 2001, the dominance of the North African club sides for another brand new decade wasn’t as massive compared to the previous decennium, however, their prowess was felt, as the likes of Enyimba of Nigeria from the West African side and TP Mazembe from the Central Region won it back to back during that time.
The just-concluded decade was another interesting 10 years that blessed us with great footballing moments on the continent, however, we can’t talk about it without mentioning the massive achievements pulled by the North Africans sides, as they went on to dominate at least 50% of the CAF competition on the continent and sure lifting the trophy.
The year 2020 ushered us into another brand decennium in the world of football, and as a matter of fact, the North African club sides have shown us why they would dominate the CAF competition for another year to come with the ways they’ve started on the continent both in the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup on a bright note, with almost clubs from the northern region, either topping their group or in the second position.
As we grow further, it’s doesn’t seems the North African sides would lower their guard any moment from now, with the way they’re performing on the continent, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any club from other regions that would rival them, but the chance looks slim and dim in terms of league standard and to some extent quality-wise.
However, it a brand new year, we wait and see what the CAF Competition have in stock, but if the starting of the competition were anything to go by, then we might see another dominance in this new decade.
Let’s hope so.
Obviously but hope Nigeria lifts the trophy this year