2020–21 CAF Champions League group stage
International football competition
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The 2020–21 CAF Champions League group stage started on 12 February and ended on 10 April 2021.[1] A total of 16 teams competed in the group stage to decide the eight places in the knockout stage of the 2020–21 CAF Champions League.[2]
Draw
The draw for the group stage was held on 8 January 2021, 12:30 GMT (14:30 local time, UTC+2), at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.[3][4] The 16 teams, all winners of the first round of qualifying, were drawn into four groups of four.
The teams were seeded by their performances in the CAF competitions for the previous five seasons (CAF 5-year ranking points shown in parentheses). Each group contained one team from each of Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3, and Pot 4, and each team was allocated to the positions in their group according to their pot.[5][6]
| Pot | Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams |
|
|
|
Format
In each group, teams play against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage.
Tiebreakers
Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order (Regulations III. 20 & 21):[2]
- Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Goals scored in all group matches;
- Away goals scored in all group matches;
- Drawing of lots.
Schedule
The schedule of each matchday is as follows (matches scheduled in midweek in italics).[1] Kick-off times are fixed at 13:00 (Saturdays only), 16:00 and 19:00 GMT.
| Matchday | Dates | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | 12–13 February 2021 | Team 1 vs. Team 4, Team 2 vs. Team 3 |
| Matchday 2 | 23–24 February 2021 | Team 3 vs. Team 1, Team 4 vs. Team 2 |
| Matchday 3 | 5–6 March 2021 | Team 4 vs. Team 3, Team 1 vs. Team 2 |
| Matchday 4 | 16–17 March 2021 | Team 3 vs. Team 4, Team 2 vs. Team 1 |
| Matchday 5 | 2–3 April 2021 | Team 4 vs. Team 1, Team 3 vs. Team 2 |
| Matchday 6 | 9–10 April 2021 | Team 1 vs. Team 3, Team 2 vs. Team 4 |
Groups
Group A
AS Vita Club  | 0–1 |  Simba |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Referee: Bakary Gassama (Gambia)
Referee: Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)
Al Merrikh  | 1–4 | AS Vita Club |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
| Simba | 1–0 |  Al Ahly |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Referee: Sidi Alioum (Cameroon)
| Al Merrikh | 0–0 | Simba |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Referee: Rédouane Jiyed (Morocco)
Referee: Joshua Bondo (Botswana)
| Simba | 3–0 | Al Merrikh |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Referee: Victor Gomes (South Africa)
| Simba | 4–1 | AS Vita Club |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Referee: Haythem Guirat (Tunisia)
| AS Vita Club | 3–1 | Al Merrikh |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Referee: Abdel Aziz Mohamed Bouh (Mauritania)
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
Group B
Referee: Eric Otogo-Castane (Gabon)
Referee: Gehad Grisha (Egypt)
| Al Hilal | 0–0 | TP Mazembe |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Referee: Samir Guezzaz (Morocco)
CR Belouizdad  | 1–5 |  Mamelodi Sundowns |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Referee: Boubou Traoré (Mali)
| CR Belouizdad | 1–1 | Al Hilal |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Referee: Maguette N'Diaye (Senegal)
| TP Mazembe | 1–2 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Referee: Sidi Alioum (Cameroon)
Referee: Mohamed Maarouf (Egypt)
| Mamelodi Sundowns | 1–0 | TP Mazembe |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Referee: Youssef Essrayri (Tunisia)
Referee: Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)
Referee: Mahmoud El Banna (Egypt)
| TP Mazembe | 2–1 | Al Hilal |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (Burundi)
Referee: Joshua Bondo (Botswana)
Group C
- Tied on head-to-head points (2), on head-to-head goal difference (0) and on head-to-head goals scored (2). Head-to-head away goals scored: Kaizer Chiefs 2, Horoya 0.
Referee: Beida Dahane (Mauritania)
Petro de Luanda  | 0–1 |  Wydad AC |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)
Referee: Joshua Bondo (Botswana)
Referee: Sadok Selmi (Tunisia)
Referee: Bamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)
Referee: Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria)
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana (Burundi)
| Petro de Luanda | 0–1 |  Horoya |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
| Kaizer Chiefs | 1–0 | Wydad AC |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Referee: Ibrahim Nour El Din (Egypt)
Referee: Bakary Gassama (Gambia)
Referee: Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya)
Group D
Referee: Peter Waweru (Kenya)
Referee: Beida Dahane (Mauritania)
Espérance de Tunis  | 3–1 | Zamalek |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Referee: Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)
Referee: Boubou Traoré (Mali)
| Zamalek | 0–1 | Espérance de Tunis |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)
Teungueth  | 2–1 | Espérance de Tunis |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Referee: Blaise Yuven Ngwa (Cameroon)
Referee: Noureddine El Jaafari (Morocco)
| Espérance de Tunis | 1–1 | MC Alger |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Referee: Victor Gomes (South Africa)
| Zamalek | 4–1 | Teungueth |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Referee: Mahamadou Keita (Mali)
Notes
- The Al Ahly v Al Merrikh match, originally scheduled to be played on 13 February 2021, was rescheduled to be played on 16 February 2021 due to Al Ahly's participation in the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar between 4 and 11 February 2021.[7]
- Al Merrikh played their home matches at Al Hilal Stadium, Omdurman, instead of their regular home stadium Al Merrikh Stadium, Omdurman, which is undergoing renovation.
- CR Belouizdad played their home matches at Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers, instead of their regular home stadium Stade du 20 Août, Algiers, which did not meet CAF requirements.
- The CR Belouizdad v Mamelodi Sundowns match, originally scheduled to be played at Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers[note 3] on 24 February 2021, was postponed due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic imposed by Algeria on travelers from South Africa out of concern of the variant 501.V2.[8] The match was later rescheduled to be played outside Algeria on 28 February 2021 at National Stadium, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).[9]
- The Wydad AC v Kaizer Chiefs match, originally scheduled to be played at Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca on 13 February 2021, was postponed due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic imposed by Morocco on travelers from South Africa out of concern of the variant 501.V2.[10] The match was later rescheduled to be played outside Morocco on 28 February 2021 at Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).[9]