JOHANNESBURG - The Confederation of African Football (CAF) this weekend revealed four clubs will represent Zimbabwe in continental club tournaments after impressive performances by representatives from that country in the last five years.The top 12 countries ranked over the period 2005-2009 earn the right to engage two clubs in each CAF Club Competitions for the year 2011, CAF said this week from Cairo.
Zimbabwe finished twelfth after accumulating 17 points. CAF calculates points based on the clubs performance over the last five years in the Orange Champions League and Orange Confederation Cup, not taking into considering the running year.
For the former, the criteria saw the winner of the tournament collect five points, the runner four points and the semi-finalists getting three points. The third and fourth-placed teams in the group stages accumulated two points and a point respectively.
The same criterion was used for the less glamorous Confederations Cup.
Zimbabwean clubs defied a number of challenges presented by economic difficulties to make an impression in continental football tournaments.
Harare giants, Dynamos, have been the most successful and boast a semi-final finish in 2008. Monomotapa also had a fairytale run in last years edition, during which Caps United also made an impression only to be knocked out at the penultimate stages of the competition.
With two rounds of matches remaining, table-toppers Motor Action and dynamos appear safe bets to qualify for the Champions League while Confederations Cup football beckons for Highlanders and Gunners.
Post published in: Football