July 14 – The inaugural and much debated African Super League, which has had its name changed to African Football League (AFL), will start on October 20, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed at its general assembly in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Thursday.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who has trumpeted the new competition from day one despite it being drastically scaled down from an initial 24 teams to just eight, insisted, as did FIFA president Gianni Infantino, that it will be expanded in the years to come.
Bizarrely with the tournament just three months away, CAF did not name the eight teams involved. But widespread reports identified them as South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, owned by the family of the CAF president; Petro Atletico (Angola), TP Mazembe (Democratic Republic of Congo), Al Ahly (Egypt), Horoya (Guinea), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania) and Esperance (Tunisia)
The competition, running alongside the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup in the 2023-24 season, goes ahead despite CAF announcing a $15.7 million loss for the 2022-23 financial year and the fact that, as yet, there have been no details of any sponsorship or broadcast deal.
“We have to make watching football by our citizens irresistible. It has to be irresistibly appealing to fans and it starts in our countries,” Motsepe told delegates.
“We have recognised 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.”
Infantino, who has personally backed the project – cynics might argue partially to cement political support – added: “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.”
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