The latest club ranking released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has delivered a sobering verdict on the state of Nigerian football, with no club from the country featuring in the continent's top 20.
A Familiar Name at the Summit
As has become the standard in African football, Egyptian giants Al Ahly secured the number one position. They are closely followed by South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns in second place, reinforcing the dominance of North and Southern African clubs.
The rankings, which were published on Monday night, November 26, 2025, serve as a crucial indicator ahead of the new CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup seasons. The list evaluates club performance over a five-year window, with more recent seasons carrying greater significance in the points calculation.
The Plight of Nigerian Clubs
The highest-placed Nigerian club is Rivers United, which finds itself in a distant 24th position. They are followed by former African champions, Enyimba, who are ranked even lower in 35th place. The data highlights a stark decline for Nigerian clubs on the continental stage.
A critical fact underpinning this poor showing is that Rivers United is the only Nigerian club to have reached the group stage of the CAF Champions League in the last eight years. The situation is more dire further down the list, as no other Nigerian team managed to break into the top 75 clubs in Africa.
What the Top of the Table Reveals
The upper echelon of the ranking is populated by clubs that have recently achieved significant continental success. The top six spots are largely filled by teams that represented Africa at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, as well as the winners of the previous season's Champions League and Confederation Cup.
Completing the top ten behind Al Ahly and Sundowns are a host of familiar powerhouses: Tunisia's Espérance Sportive, Morocco's RS Berkane, Tanzania's Simba SC, the current African champions Pyramids FC of Egypt, Zamalek (Egypt), Wydad AC (Morocco), and Algeria's USM Alger and CR Belouizdad.
This latest ranking serves as a clear wake-up call for Nigerian football administrators and clubs, underscoring the urgent need for a strategic overhaul to regain a competitive edge in Africa.
