African Football League: what you need to know about the first edition

According to CAF, one team has been selected from each of the continent's top-ranked leagues. For this first edition, as the logic and name of the tournament dictate, 8 continental heavyweights are involved: Esperance de Tunis, Wydad Athlétics, TP Mazembe , Al Ahly FC, Mamelodi Sundowns FC, Simba Sports, Atlético Petróleos de Luanda, Enyimba FC.

The competition starts directly at the quarter-final stage. Ties are played over two legs. The away goals rule, with away goals counting double, will apply.

If the tie is level after the second leg, there will be no extra time in the quarter-finals or semi-finals; the match will go straight to a penalty shootout. VAR will be in operation for every African Football League match.

The competition's financial appeal

For this trial tournament, all participating teams will receive 1 million dollars. Those reaching the semi-finals will see their payout rise to 1.7 million dollars. The losing finalist will receive 3 million dollars, while the winner will pocket 4 million dollars.

The African Football League: origins, aims and a scaled-back ambition

It was on 10 August 2022 that CAF announced a new continental competition, the African Super League, since renamed the African Football League so as not to be accused of being a pale copy of the aborted European project. "The African Super League is a very important initiative. One of the main problems in Africa is funding. Our aim is for African club football to be world class and to compete with the best in the world," CAF president Patrice Motsepe said at the planning stage.

In presenting the project, CAF set out its objectives: to make African football more competitive, turn it into a global sporting event, boost appeal and development among clubs, players, supporters and investors, generate more revenue and lead to improved infrastructure. "Each of the 24 clubs taking part in the initial tournament will receive an annual contribution of three and a half million dollars to buy players and cover travel costs," the CAF president said. A year later, the 8 participants alone receive 3 times less.

Initial plans

The first edition was due to run from August 2023 to May 2024. It was meant to involve 24 teams across 197 matches. The finalists were to play a maximum of 21 matches on their way through.

In addition, play-offs were to be held for relegation and promotion within the league.

In its project, "too big for its means", CAF presented the AFL as an African "Super Bowl". It cited a financial return of 100 million dollars from the competition. CAF dreamed too big from the start with its project!

FIFA backing

This new competition is backed by FIFA. One of the many nonsensical aspects of the project is that the European version, conceived in 2021 by a handful of major clubs, was vetoed by FIFA. The similar project in Europe was to bring together 12 of the Old Continent's biggest clubs.

"The Super League is an exciting and unique project and we are happy to lend our support and share all the experience we have accumulated," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was present at the launch. Why does FIFA promote the African Football League while opposing the same format in Europe? It must also be said that African clubs, persuaded by the financial windfall at stake, agreed to the project. By contrast, the rejected European counterpart was meant to be played by a select group (12 teams), which prompted a backlash from many leagues. Many accordingly accuse CAF of using it as an experimental laboratory.

Lack of information or opaque system over choice of clubs and conditions of participation

Admittedly, the selection of some clubs taking part in this first edition is not up for debate (Al Ahly…), but others, such as Enyimba and Atlético Petróleos de Luanda, are the subject of debate. They are not seen as among the best African clubs. Meanwhile, no Algerian club is involved. So the Angolan and Nigerian leagues would be better than the Algerian one, if we go by the information saying that one club from each of the best leagues was chosen. There is also information saying that the choice of participating teams is based on results over the last 5 years. In other words, some consider CAF's selection opaque, or not sufficiently explained, which fuels an unhelpful debate.

The comments by Joseph-Antoine Bell have added to the confusion over the criteria that prevailed in selecting the teams.

"If you are told that to be accepted into the league you must have a reserve team, an under-20 team, an under-17 team, a women's team… it's like a large family that has struggled to put food on the table three times a day and send its children to school, yet allows itself to adopt an extra child," he lamented on Nouvelle Chaine Ivoirienne (NCI). Did this criterion count this year? No one is in a position to say at this point.

Until a document explaining the selection process is published, speculation seems to be outweighing real information. One question, among others, is nagging many specialists. Why does CAF not invest this money in the CAF Champions League?

First-leg quarter-final schedule, GMT:

20/10/23 at 15:00: Simba SC (Tanzania) vs Al Ahly (Egypt)

21/10/23 at 15:30: Petro Atletico (Angola) vs Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

22/10/23 at 15:00: TP Mazembe (DR Congo) vs Espérance (Tunisia)

22/10/23 at 18:00: Enyimba (Nigeria) vs Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)

Second-leg quarter-finals:

24/10/23 at 14:00: Al Ahly (Egypt) vs Simba (Tanzania)

24/10/23 at 17:00: Sundowns (South Africa) vs Petro Atletico (Angola)

25/10/23 at 15:00: Espérance (Tunisia) vs TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

25/10/23 at 18:00: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) vs Enyimba (Nigeria)

Opening ceremony and first match: 20 October 2023 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Semi-finals: between 29 October and 1 November 2023

Final: 5 and 11 November 2023

Broadcasting of the competition

Abu Dhabi Sports TV won the tender to broadcast African football. Tanzanian channel Azam TV will also show a selection of matches.

The international football federation announced on Thursday 19 October that African Football League matches will be shown on its FIFA+ service.

In addition, Egyptian channel On Time Sports has announced that it has acquired the broadcasting rights to the competition. Finally, CAF also reached an agreement on Thursday with Moroccan channel Arryadia for broadcasting.