FIFA president Gianni Infantino has announced that the new eight-team African Football League club competition will begin on October 20.
The announcement was made at the Confederation of Africa Football’s (CAF) general assembly in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, yesterday (July 13), with the confirmed eight-team lineup drastically reduced from the original proposal of 24 teams.
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Infantino said: “It will have eight great teams, which will be followed in the future with a bigger version. We have to invest in African club football as well as national team football.
“It is our responsibility, duty, and task, and with the work and contribution of all of us as a team, we will succeed.”
The African Football League was launched last year as the CAF Africa Super League. However, last month, CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the federation was forced to change the name due to major sponsors having an issue with the original title due to its association with the failed European Super League breakaway competition.
CAF has yet to confirm the participating teams, but It is understood the line-up will include 2023 CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly of Egypt, runners-up Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, and semi-finalists Mamelodi Sundowns of South Arica and Esperance of Tunisia.
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By GlobalDataThe governing body has said the competition will run concurrently with CAF’s Champions League for domestic league winners across the continent and not as a replacement.
Details around broadcasters, sponsors, and logistics are yet to be announced, but CAF previously promised $100 million in prize month, with $10 million for the winner.
During the general assembly, Motsepe said: “We have recognized for many years that African football players have been among the best in the world, but we have to improve the appeal of African football, its commercial viability, and its capacity to sustain itself.
“We have a huge among of confidence that the progress we are making and with the talent we have in Africa it will result in an African nation winning the World Cup.
“But we have to spend money on coaching the coaches, opening academies, and ensuring professional clubs have sufficient resources.”
During the general assembly, CAF confirmed a 17% improvement in revenues to $125.2 million driven by an increase in sponsorship and television rights.
The federation said it anticipates further growth in 2023-24, with the Africa Cup of Nations to be staged in the Côte d'Ivoire from January 13.
CAF said total expenses on prize money and tournaments for the year increased by 26% to $78.9 million.
The federation also confirmed an overall loss for the previous financial year of $15.7 million due to an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed figure with sports agency Lagardère last November after canceling a 10-year $1 billion television and marketing rights deal in 2019.
In a statement, CAF said: “CAF had to take some difficult decisions on the long-standing dispute with some of our partners by settling matters out of court.
“This, plus other accounting standards provisions recommended by CAF auditors, were fully provided for in the financials.”
Looking forward, CAF said the inter-club competitions – Champions League and Confederations Cup – as well as the Super Cup, Women’s Champions League, Futsal, and Africa School Program, are expected to be delivered during the 2023-24 financial year with a projected budget of $110 million dedicated to the organization and prize money of the competitions.
