Sportbusiness.com’s Gavin Hamilton reports that CAF and its President Patrice Motsepe believe the proposed competition has the potential to transform professional football on the African continent.
The Confederation of African Football has announced plans for an African Super League, with a prize fund of $100m for the competing clubs.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the new competition, starting in August 2023 and featuring 24 as yet unnamed clubs from 16 countries, will be the “most fundamental intervention to improve the quality of football in Africa”.
Prize money
Motsepe said $11.6m will be offered to the league winner. In addition, CAF envisages that a solidarity fund will provide each of the 54 member associations of CAF with $1m each year towards football development.
The proposed Super League will be divided into three groups of eight clubs, before the majority of teams move on to a play-off system that will include wild card berths.
CAF will continue with its flagship African Champions League competition, but officials said there were plans to revert back to a two-legged knockout format, dispensing with the current group phase.
“The African Super League represents the very best on the continent and we have seen a big appetite from investors to be involved in this project,” Motsepe said after his organisation’s general assembly in Tanzania. “The intention is for kick-off in August 2023 and over the next few months there will be a process of engagement with various stakeholders. We will also explain to domestic competitions how this will affect their fixtures. At the end of the day, the future of club football is based on commercial competitiveness. The face of African football will never be the same again.”
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Funding
Although no details were provided on the funding of the new competition, Motsepe said CAF will make a financial contribution to help clubs with the cost of taking part.
“One of the biggest problems of top clubs participating in the current Africa Champions League is they spend a lot of money on transport and accommodation,” he said. “When they win, the money they get does not compensate for the huge expenses they have undertaken. The first 24 teams that we want to take part in the competition, we will give them a contribution every year of $2.5m to use to assist with their transport and all of their other expenses.”
Infantino backing
Motsepe was accompanied by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has been a strong supporter of the Super League concept in Africa, despite publicly backing European governing body UEFA in its opposition to a European Super League in 2020.
At the time, Infantino claimed an African competition “could make at least $200m in revenue” and ignored concerns that some clubs could be invited to take part based on country rankings and historical success rather than recent results on the pitch.
“There is a huge will to invest in a project like this, which will give a new visibility to African football,” Infantino said. “The growth of African club and national team football contributes to the growth of world football. The competition will benefit each and every country, not just with the solidarity payment, but the exposure for African football.”
South African response
Unlike Europe, African football has generally been more receptive to the Super League concept. However, some concerns have been raised over the impact a new league could have on domestic competition, with the players’ union in South Africa issuing a statement claiming “an unworkable, ill-conceived African Super league is on the horizon. Professional football in South Africa and Africa could be at risk if the resolution to commence with the Super League is implemented and there may be no return from the wreckage that a Super League can become.”
