In a move that is set to alleviate financial strains on participating clubs, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the scrapping of the play-offs in the CAF Confederation Cup starting from the 2023-2024 season, News About Nigeria reports.
The decision was reached during a CAF executive committee meeting held in Rabat on Saturday.
The playoffs pitted the winners of the Confederation Cup last-32 ties against the losers of the CAF Champions League last-32 ties.
However, moving forward, the winners of the Confederation Cup last-32 ties will directly advance to the group phase.
Although the CAF statement did not provide specific reasons for the change, the decision is likely rooted in the considerable costs associated with participating in the Confederation Cup.
Clubs only receive prize money once they reach the group phase, forcing them to bear the financial burden of competing in the preliminary round, round of 32, and play-offs.
Last season, Cape Town City FC Chairman John Comitis revealed that his club incurred expenses amounting to three million rand ($160,000/€145,000) during their African campaign.
Traveling poses a significant challenge for African clubs due to limited flight options and exorbitant costs.
The current champions, USM Alger from Algeria, along with former winners FUS Rabat from Morocco and Zamalek from Egypt, are among the notable clubs participating in the upcoming 2023-2024 Confederation Cup.
With the preliminary round set to commence in August, followed by the round of 32 in September/October, the first group matches are scheduled to take place on December 3.
