CAF Champions League African Super League : More Details From CAF president

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Dr Patrice Motsepe made formal announcement of the African Super League during CAF general assembly in Arusha, Tanzania on Wednesday.

According to CAF president, one of the objectives of the proposed tournament to feature some of the best football clubs on the continent is to position the continent’s football in the global upper echelons by ensuring Africa’s best clubs can compete financially with the rest of the world.

African clubs have never had a good foundation, financially, to be able to keep some of the best players in Africa, from an income perspective. Because they [the players] love the continent, they want to be in Africa.” Explained Motsepe.

So, the financial part of club football is a critical issue. And what we’re hoping to do is improve the quality of football. We need to get the spectators excited to watch local football. Because it is as good as watching the best football in the world.” The 60-year-old South African businessman continued.

Also Read : CAF OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED AFRICAN SUPER LEAGUE

Motsepe said with continental club football in its current guise, the financial means do not justify the end product for club owners – hinting that the Super League will be vastly different.  

One of the biggest problems of the top clubs in the current CAF Champions League is they pay a lot of money on transport, on accommodation. And when they win the money they get does not justify or compensate for the huge expenses they’ve undertaken.” Motsepe added while seated next to Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

Club owners have long bemoaned the costs of competing in the current CAF headline competition, the Champions League. The winners of the 2022 edition of Africa’s premier club showpiece pocketed $2.5-million.

In contrast, Motsepe said the winner of the inaugural edition of the Super League may well walk away with a purse of $11.5-million.

With the tournament touted to take off in August 2023, details around participating teams and where the exuberant prize money will be sourced from are still not available.

However, with the project a year away, Motsepe said they will engage with stakeholders to find common ground.

The audacious project will also have impact on domestic leagues but it still is unclear how its implementation will look like.

The tournament is expected to comprise 24 teams in its first year, in a promotion/relegation format. The first participants are to be sourced from three African regions, with each region contributing eight teams.

As for the teams who are favourites to be included should the tournament succeed, Africa’s most successful club, Al Ahly, will be one. Champions League title-holders Wydad Casablanca, fellow Moroccan club Raja Casablanca, as well as Zamalek from Egypt and Tunisia’s Esperance, seem certain, too, to be among the eight competitors from the north.

Five-time African champions TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo are sure to be among the west-centre selections, while 2016 African champions Mamelodi Sundowns are likely to make the cut, too. 


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