How the league works · Governed by CAF CANADA
League format
Montréal clubs, each representing an African nation, play a regular season and then knockout matches. How the champion is decided depends on how many clubs start the season, as the League Terms (section 6.4) set out.
This season
Winter Indoor 2027 · 2nd Edition · January 8, 2027 – April 30, 2027
League and playoffs: the final decides the champion
- 1 club approved
- 1 nation represented
- 11 a side
- 60 minutes
- Friday and Saturday
- Squads of 12 to 22 players
More clubs can still be approved: the format is confirmed when the season starts on January 8, 2027. With 9 clubs or more, it becomes league and CAF CANADA Cup.
Which format? The number of clubs decides
How many clubs start the season?
8 clubs or fewer
League and playoffs
Regular season, then semi-finals, a third-place match and the final. The winner of the final is champion.
9 clubs or more
League and CAF CANADA Cup
The regular season's table decides the champion. The knockout rounds that follow are the CAF CANADA Cup.
The regular season
Every club plays the others, as published in the fixtures. The table ranks the clubs by points.
- Win
- 3
- Draw
- 1
- Loss
- 0
Clubs level on points
- Goal difference
- Goals scored
- The League decides, by a play-off match if needed
Knockout matches (quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place match, final) never count in the table.
8 clubs or fewer: league and playoffs
The top four of the table play the semi-finals: 1st against 4th, 2nd against 3rd. The winners play the final, the losers the third-place match.
Semi-final 1
1st4thSemi-final 2
2nd3rdFinal
Winner of Semi-final 1Winner of Semi-final 2Champion · Runner-up
Third-place match
Loser of Semi-final 1Loser of Semi-final 2Third place
Baobab Trophy
The club first in the regular-season table: the league winners, for the best record of the season.
9 clubs or more: league and CAF CANADA Cup
The regular-season table decides the champion, the runner-up and third place. The knockout rounds played after it (quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, as published with the fixtures) form the CAF CANADA Cup.
Regular-season table
- Champion
- Runner-up
- Third place
CAF CANADA Cup
Quarter-finals → semi-finals → final
CAF CANADA Cup winners
The season's honours
| Honour | 8 clubs or fewer | 9 clubs or more |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | Winner of the final | 1st in the table |
| Runner-up | Loser of the final | 2nd in the table |
| Third place | Winner of the third-place match | 3rd in the table |
| Baobab Trophy (league winners) | 1st in the table | Not awarded (the table's leader is champion) |
| CAF CANADA Cup winners | — | Winner of the cup final |
Example: Winter Indoor 2026 · 1st Edition
How the last completed season was decided.
Semi-final 1
Senegal5
Cameroon4Semi-final 2
Côte d'Ivoire0
Chad1Final
Senegal0Chad3Third-place match
Cameroon2Côte d'Ivoire0- ChampionChad
- Runner-upSenegal
- Third placeCameroon
- Baobab Trophy (league winners)Senegal
CAF CANADA governs and sponsors the CAN-Montréal Alliance and sets this format. The season's format, clubs, results, standings and honours are shared with CAF CANADA.