Egyptian football club Pyramids FC has emerged as Africa’s highest-ranked team in the latest Opta Power Rankings, overtaking continental rivals Al Ahly as the 2026/27 CAF Champions League group stage approaches.

The rankings, updated on November 3, 2026, place Pyramids at the top with a rating of 83.1 out of 100. Al Ahly follow closely with 82.8 points, while Tanzania’s Young Africans occupy third position with 81.1.

Moroccan, South African and Algerian clubs also feature prominently in the rankings, but no Ghanaian club appears among Africa’s top 20.

The latest assessment compares the estimated strength of thousands of football clubs worldwide, providing a picture of how African teams measure up against one another.

Pyramids FC Overtake Al Ahly to Become Africa’s Highest-Ranked Club

Pyramids FC have taken first place in the African rankings, moving ahead of Al Ahly, one of the continent’s most successful football institutions.

The Egyptian side received an Opta rating of 83.1, placing them 154th globally.

Al Ahly are second in Africa and 168th worldwide, with a rating of 82.8.

Only 0.3 points separate the two Egyptian clubs, indicating how closely matched they are according to Opta’s assessment.

Pyramids’ position also reflects the growing competition among Egypt’s leading clubs.

Despite Al Ahly’s extensive history of domestic and continental success, Opta’s model currently rates Pyramids slightly higher.

Young Africans Lead Tanzanian Challenge

Tanzania’s Young Africans have secured third place in Africa with an Opta rating of 81.1.

The club occupies 256th position in the global rankings.

Young Africans’ placement puts them ahead of several established African clubs, including Morocco’s RS Berkane, South Africa’s Orlando Pirates and Egypt’s Zamalek.

Fellow Tanzanian side Simba SC also features prominently, occupying fifth position with a rating of 80.6.

The presence of two Tanzanian teams in the top five highlights their strong standing in the current Opta assessment.

Full List of Africa’s Top 20 Football Clubs in November 2026

The following rankings were published using Opta’s November 3, 2026 ratings.

African Rank	Club	Country	Opta Rating	Global Rank
1	Pyramids FC	Egypt	83.1	154
2	Al Ahly	Egypt	82.8	168
3	Young Africans	Tanzania	81.1	256
4	RS Berkane	Morocco	80.6	293
5	Simba SC	Tanzania	80.6	294
6	Orlando Pirates	South Africa	80.5	297
7	Mamelodi Sundowns	South Africa	80.5	299
8	FAR Rabat	Morocco	80.4	303
9	CR Belouizdad	Algeria	79.4	365
10	Raja Casablanca	Morocco	79.0	384
11	MC Alger	Algeria	78.8	402
12	Zamalek SC	Egypt	78.7	410
13	Espérance de Tunis	Tunisia	78.1	454
14	Maghreb de Fès	Morocco	77.9	462
15	JS Kabylie	Algeria	77.6	483
16	Ceramica Cleopatra	Egypt	77.2	522
17	Al Ahli Tripoli	Libya	77.0	536
18	Petro de Luanda	Angola	76.9	558
19	TP Mazembe	DR Congo	76.6	583
20	USM Alger	Algeria	76.3	622

The rankings show that Egypt and Morocco each have four clubs in the top 20, while Algeria has three representatives.

Tanzania and South Africa have two clubs each. Tunisia, Libya, Angola and DR Congo each have one.

No Ghanaian Club Among Africa’s Top 20

One notable development is the absence of Ghanaian football clubs from the top 20.

Traditional Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak do not appear on the list.

Neither does any other Ghana Premier League club.

Their absence means Ghana has no representative among the continent’s 20 highest-rated teams in this particular Opta assessment.

However, the rankings do not establish that Ghanaian clubs are incapable of competing with the listed teams.

Opta ratings measure estimated current playing strength rather than historical achievements or the overall importance of a country’s football league.

The absence of Ghanaian teams nevertheless raises questions about how the country’s leading clubs compare with stronger-rated sides across the continent.

South African Clubs Maintain Strong Positions

South Africa has two representatives in the top 10.

Orlando Pirates occupy sixth place with an Opta rating of 80.5, placing them 297th globally.

Mamelodi Sundowns follow in seventh position with the same rounded rating and a global ranking of 299th.

The two clubs remain among Africa’s strongest sides according to the model.

Their positions also demonstrate that rankings do not always reflect the outcome of a particular match or tournament.

A club can remain highly rated even after suffering an unexpected defeat in continental competition.

Moroccan Clubs Feature Prominently

Morocco is another strongly represented country in the latest rankings.

RS Berkane lead the Moroccan clubs in fourth position with 80.6 points.

FAR Rabat follow in eighth place with 80.4, while Raja Casablanca occupy tenth position with 79.0.

Maghreb de Fès complete Morocco’s representation in 14th place.

The four clubs demonstrate Morocco’s strong presence in the continent’s upper rankings.

Algeria also has three teams in the top 20, led by CR Belouizdad in ninth place.

MC Alger rank 11th, while JS Kabylie and USM Alger occupy 15th and 20th positions respectively, giving Algeria four representatives in total.

What Are the Opta Power Rankings?

The Opta Power Rankings are a football rating system developed by sports analytics company Opta.

The model evaluates the estimated strength of more than 13,500 men’s football clubs worldwide.

Teams receive ratings on a scale from zero to 100, with higher numbers representing stronger estimated performance.

Unlike domestic league standings, the system allows teams from different countries and competitions to be compared using a common measure.

Ratings can change as clubs play matches and their estimated strength changes.

The system does not award trophies or determine which clubs have achieved the greatest historical success.

Instead, it provides a statistical comparison of current team strength.

CAF Champions League Group Stage Set to Begin November 27

The rankings arrive ahead of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League group stage, scheduled to begin on November 27.

Sixteen clubs will compete across four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

Pyramids FC, Young Africans and RS Berkane are among the highly rated clubs preparing for the competition.

Pyramids have been drawn in Group D alongside Al Hilal Omdurman, Horoya AC and Maghreb de Fès.

Young Africans will compete in Group B against Zamalek, MC Alger and Club Africain.

RS Berkane will face Simba SC, Orlando Pirates and Colombe Sportive in Group C.

The competition will provide another opportunity for African clubs to demonstrate their strength on the pitch.

Can Pyramids Maintain Their Position?

Pyramids FC currently hold a narrow advantage over Al Ahly in Opta’s African rankings.

However, the 0.3-point difference means the order could change as new results influence the ratings.

Young Africans, RS Berkane and Simba SC are also positioned close enough to challenge the leading clubs if their performances improve.

For Ghanaian football supporters, the absence of local teams is another point of interest as domestic clubs seek stronger results in African competitions.

The latest rankings place Pyramids at the top of African club football, but upcoming domestic and continental matches will continue shaping the standings.