Katongo attributes African club football growth to stronger leagues in Africa and CAF investments in continental football

Zambian football legend and 2012 African champion Christopher Katongo has hailed the growing competitiveness and unpredictability of African club football following the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup group stage draws held on Monday, 3 November.

Katongo, who served as one of the official draw assistants alongside Cameroonian legend Alexandre Song, believes this season’s continental competitions will be among the most fiercely contested in recent memory. He highlighted Group C of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League — featuring Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Hilal, MC Alger, and FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo - as one of the toughest, bringing together multiple former champions and in-form sides.

“Group C is very tough for me. You have two or three teams that have already won the competition or reached the latter stages before. But looking across all the groups, I think it’s a fair and open draw. Every club has a chance to make an impact.”

The former Chipolopolo captain, who represented Zambia at several major tournaments, emphasised that the evolution of African club football has made both competitions harder to predict and more exciting for fans across the continent and globally.

“It’s no longer about the traditional powerhouses,” he explained. “So called smaller clubs are learning fast, investing well, and developing strong teams. You can’t take anyone lightly — every match is competitive. That’s what makes African football so exciting today. It is now living up to its potential and it can only get better from here.”

Katongo attributed this growing parity to greater professionalism, stronger domestic leagues, and improved youth development structures across Africa.

“Clubs are working harder off the pitch too — from management to coaching and player preparation. It’s not easy to predict who will reach the semi-finals or even win the title anymore,” he said.

The Zambian icon concluded by commending CAF for enhancing the stature and quality of its club competitions.

“CAF has done a great job in raising the standards and giving more clubs the platform to grow,” Katongo added. “African football is on the rise — the quality, ambition, and belief are stronger than ever”.