R75 million at stake for African Football League: Everything you need to know
CAF has confirmed that R75 million is at stake for the winner of the inaugural African Football League [AFL], and here’s everything else you need to know about the new continental club competition.
CAF established the competition in partnership with FIFA. The main objective is to ensure African Club football “is globally competitive” and “clubs are commercially viable”.
WHO WILL FEATURE IN THE COMPETITION, AND WHAT FORMAT WILL BE USED?
The AFL will feature eight teams from eight ‘top-ranked clubs’ according to CAF. It will be played in a two-legged knockout format. A two-legged final is set for November 2023.
Tanzania’s Simba SC and reigning African champions Al Ahly of Egypt kick off the new competition on Friday, 20 October 2023. The first leg of the quarterfinal is set for Dar es Salaam.
Other participating clubs include Enyimba FC [Nigeria], Wydad Casablanca [Morocco], Mamelodi Sundowns FC [South Africa], TP Mazembe [DR Congo], Espérance Sportive de Tunis [Tunisia] and Atlético Petróleos de Luanda [Angola].
On Saturday, October 21, TP Mazembe takes on Esperance in Lubumbashi, while Sundowns are scheduled to travel to Angola for a clash against Petro Atletico.
Enyimba kick off their campaign with a tie against Wydad Casablanca at home in Uyo on Sunday, October 22.
WHAT IS THE PRIZE MONEY OF THE AFRICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE?
The winner will pocket $ 4 million [R75.6 million], while the runner-up will get $ 3 million [R56.7 million]. Semi-finalists get $1.7 million [R32.1 million], with all quarter-finalists receiving $1 million [R18.9 million].
“The Prize Money is appealing and competitive as the Winning Club will only play six matches to win the substantial Prize Money of $ 4 000 000 [R76 million],” CAF said in a statement.
CAF added it intended that the 54 Member Associations, including the countries with no representatives in the AFL, “should receive financial contributions from the commercial viability and success of the AFL.”
WHY MAMELODI SUNDOWNS COULD BE FORCED TO WITHDRAW
The Premier Soccer League’s Board of Governors met on Thursday and raised concerns about Sundowns’ participation.
FARPost on Friday reported that the PSL only received official communication about the tournament a fortnight ago. When the communication came, the DStv Premiership was already in week six.
Sanctioning Masandawana’s participation would mean altering the fixtures, which may extend the programme by a month. Traditionally, the league ends in May, followed by promotional/relegation playoffs, usually concluded by the end of June.
Most clubs issue player contracts that run until the end of June. Having the season overlap beyond June would complicate matters for clubs. It remains to be seen how the issue will be resolved.
RELATED STORY: Sundowns exit from African Football League a possibility, here’s why