By Mark Gleeson BBC Sport, Cape Town

The prize all African Clubs dream of winning

The African Champions League is 40 years old this year, although for most of its life the competition was known by a different name.

It was only in 1997 that the format and title of the continent's top club event was changed, to the African Champions League, in order to take advantage of commercial opportunities presented by television.

The tournament has come a long way since its first edition when four teams got together in January 1965 to decide the African Champions Cup crown.

Oryx Bellois Douala, a side that no longer exists, were the first continental champions, beating Stade Malien to the title with a 2-1 win in the Ghanaian capital.

It was to be the first and last time that the title was decided at a neutral venue, since then the crown has always been determined over two legs with both finalists getting a chance to play at home in the final.

Traditionally the competition has been dominated by North African clubs, whose structures and administration have been more professional, if somewhat tempestuous and irrational at times.

Just over half of the last 39 titles have been won by clubs from Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, who remain the powerhouses of African club football.

Egypt have had the most wins, nine, followed by Cameron and Morocco with five each, while twelve countries in all have provided African champions, the latest being Nigeria last year with the success of Enyimba of Aba.

Enyimba fans celebrate winning the Champions League in 2003

The most successful club in the tournament's history has been Cairo giants Zamalek, with a total of five titles.

The Champions League was known as the Champions Cup until 1997.

The first trophy bore the name of Kwane Nkrumah, which was eventually kept by Hafia Conakry in 1977, the first side to win it three times.

It was replaced by a trophy donated by the Guinea dictator Ahmed Sekou Toure, which was claimed by Zamalek in 1993 following their third victory in the competition.

Since 1994, a trophy donated by Caf which is a silver ball on a base of metal rings and a wooden stand, has been contested.

The format of the competition has undergone much changing over the years.

At first, replays were used to decide tied matches, then penalty shootouts were introduced in 1971 before the away goals rule came in 1975.

In the same year Caf introduced a limit of 30 players per club per year, with 25 players registered at the start of the competition and five more allowed to be added to the roster from the last eight onwards..

The Champions League was introduced in1997, bringing in a league format for the last eight, at first the winners of the two groups of four met in the final.

The first winners were of this new format were Raja Casablanca of Morocco.

Two years ago a semi-final round was introduced to add to the excitement and prize money for the winner is now US$1 million.

African Champions Cup Winners:

1964: Oryx Douala (Cameroon)
1965: No Competition
1966: Stade Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
1967: TP Englebert (Congo-Kinshasa)
1968: TP Englebert (Congo-Kinshasa)
1969: Ismaili (Egypt)
1970: Asante Kotoko (Ghana)
1971: Canon Yaounde (Cameroon)
1972: Hafia Conakry (Guinea)
1973: Vita Club (Zaire)
1974: CARA Brazzaville (Congo)
1975: Hafia Conakry (Guinea)
1976: Mouloudia Alger (Algeria)
1977: Hafia Conakry (Guinea)
1978: Canon Yaounde (Cameroon)
1979: Union Douala (Cameroon)
1980: Canon Yaounde (Cameroon)
1981: JE Tizi Ouzou (Algeria)
1982: Al Ahly (Egypt)
1983: Asante Kotoko (Ghana)
1984: Zamalek (Egypt)
1985: Royal Armed Forces (Morocco)
1986: Zamalek (Egypt)
1987: Al Ahly (Egypt)
1988: EP Setif (Algeria)
1989: Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
1990: JS Kabylie (Algeria)
1991: Club Africain (Tunisia)
1992: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
1993: Zamalek (Egypt)
1994: Esperance (Tunisia)
1995: Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
1996: Zamalek (Egypt)

African Champions League Winners: