The Top 10 African clubs, CAF Club Ranking 2026
After the semi-final matches of the continental cups, the African Football Confederation updated its ranking of the best African clubs. The top 10 is dominated by these African teams who regularly play leading roles in the CAF Champions League or the Confederation Cup.
CAF: The Top 10 African clubs
10- Simba SC (38 points)
Currently second in the Tanzanian championship with 42 points at 5 points from Young Africans, Simba SC is 10th in this ranking. The club played in the CAF Champions League this season. Housed in group D, the team finished last with 5 points: a win, two draws and three defeats.
Simba SC was a finalist in the 2025 CAF Cup. The Tanzanian club was defeated in the final by RS Berkane from Morocco.
9- Al Hilal (39 points)
Despite the war in Sudan, Al Hilal remains successful on the continent. The team is playing in the Rwandan championship this season. In the CAF Champions League, the club finished leader of group C with 11 points. He was eliminated in the quarter-finals by RS Berkane.
Current leader of the Rwandan championship, Al Hilal has achieved interesting results in recent years. Last season, the Omdurman team won the Mauritanian championship and regularly played continental competitions with a systematic qualification for the next round.
8- AS FAR (41 points)
The AS FAR has a certain regularity. The Moroccan team qualified for the final of the 2025-2026 edition of the CAF Champions League. She will face Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa.
In Morocco, the club’s last victory in the Botola Pro dates back to the 2022-2023 season. This season, AS FAR will try to go for its second victory in the CAF Champions League after its only trophy won in 1985.
7- USM Alger (47 points)
If USM Alger is not doing well in the Algerian Ligue 1 with a 12th place and 29 points with several games behind, the team shines in the CAF Cup. She eliminated OC Safi in the semi-finals to reach the final and challenge Zamalek.
The Union Sportive de la Médina d’Alger is one of the leading clubs on the continent with a rich track record. The Algerian team was a finalist in the CAF Champions League in 2015 and the CAF Cup in 2023. In 2023, she won the CAF Supercup. She will seek her second CAF Cup trophy this season against the Egyptians from Zamalek.
6- FC Pyramids (48 points)
Founded only in 2008, Pyramids FC has quickly climbed the ladder both in Egypt and on the continent. Defending champion, the Egyptian club went through to the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League this season by AS FAR.
In just 18 years of existence, Pyramids FC has won two major trophies in Africa: the CAF Supercup and the CAF Champions League in 2025. The club lost the Confederation Cup final in 2020.
5 – Zamalek (49 points)
Zamalek is a real institution in Africa. With Al Ahly, he is one of the legendary clubs in Egypt. Five Champions Leagues whose last trophy dates back to 2002, an African Cup of Cup Winners in 2000, 2 Confederation Cups in 2019 and 2024, the Egyptian team has a full trophy room.
Qualified by the final of this year’s CAF Cup after eliminating CR Belouizdad, Zamalek is aiming for a third title in the competition.
4- RS Berkane (57 points)
RS Berkane, winner of the 2025 CAF Cup
Since the final lost in the CAF Cup in 2019, RS Berkane has continued to maintain its progress in African competitions. The following season (2019-2020), the Moroccan club lifted the trophy in the Confederation Cup. Afterwards, they followed up in 2022 and 2025. The Moroccan team also won the CAF Supercup in 2022.
This season, RS Berkane stopped at the gates of the CAF Champions League final. The Oranges were eliminated by AS FAR.
3- Espérance de Tunis (58 points)
Semi-finalist in the CAF Champions League this season and currently second in the Tunisian Ligue 1 (54 points), Espérance de Tunis narrowly missed out on a perfect season despite the change of coach. The Tunisian club was eliminated in the last four by Mamelodi Sundowns despite two great performances.
Espérance de Tunis is one of the African leaders with 4 victories in the CAF Champions League: 1994, 2011, 2018, 2019. She won the African Super Cup in 1995.
2 – Al Ahly (66 points)
Al Ahly has been dethroned. The Egyptian club, a real reference in Africa, now occupies second place. The legendary Egyptian club fell in the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League ahead of Espérance de Tunis.
Al Ahly remains on a two-year drought without winning the Champions League. A real eternity for this club who has won this competition 12 times, a real record. The last victory dates back to 2024.
1- Mamelodi Sundowns (68 points)
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Dortmund at the 2025 Club World Cup
Runner-up in the last edition, Mamelodi Sundowns again qualified for the final of the CAF Champions League after discarding Espérance from Tunis. The South African club will play AS FAR to try to win a second title after that of 2016.
Regular in his performances and systematically qualified for the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League, Mamelodi Sundowns logically occupies first place.