The Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe launched Africa’s Super League.
The new competition will feature 24 clubs and is expected to revolutionize soccer in the continent. Furthermore, it will become the wealthiest competition on the continent.
The president announced this after the organization registered almost $50 million in losses last year. The tournament will be welcomed by betting enthusiast on Bettors ZA, as one of the most followed events to wager on.
When Will It Begin?
Motsepe made the announcement during CAF’s general assembly meeting in Arusha, Tanzania. He revealed that the CAF Africa Super League’s prize money would be $100 million, five times what Africa’s Champions League offers.
He also stated that the tournament will begin in August 2023, and the winning team will take home $11.5 million in the inaugural season. Additionally, the 24 teams participating in the tournament will receive $2.5 million at the start of the tournament to help cover their expenses.
However, CAF did not reveal which 24 African clubs would participate in the first season, nor did they give details of the tournament format. The federation said they would provide more updates in a few months.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino attended the meeting in Arusha and the launch. He has previously supported the idea of an African super league. Moreover, it is believed that he gave behind-the-scenes support to the European Super League before later distancing himself from it after fans rejected it.
While the African Super League cannot compare to the European Super League in terms of prize money, it will still be the richest in the continent. Infantino claimed that this project would help make African club football shine beyond the continent.
More Details to Come
Motsepe did not provide concrete details of where CAF would get the funds for the new cross-continent league. According to the figures the federation released, it made a net loss of $44.6 million in 2020-21. In fact, some media reports claim that the federation is bankrupt.
Besides the $100 million, Motsepe claimed that another $50 million would be available to help pay players. This move aims to ensure that some of the top talents remain in Africa. He also revealed that CAF had been flooded with investors and sponsors. However, the federation has not announced any major commercial deal for the African Super League.
The idea of the African Super League started two years ago, and the UEFA president has been involved closely. Motsepe had earlier referred to Infantino as an “African brother based in Europe.” He even claimed that all the 54 African countries would vote for him in FIFA presidential election in Rwanda next year.
However, that comment might attract criticism that CAF under Motsepe’s leadership is too close to Infantino. Also, it is believed that Infantino used his influence to ensure Motsepe’s election. But, Motsepe has refuted claims that he is a “puppet” and sometimes disagrees with FIFA.
In the meantime, it remains to be seen how African nations and clubs will respond to this news. Will they unanimously embrace the African Super League? What are your thoughts?
