… as CAF announces new African Super League for continental clubs
BONGANI MALUNGA
Continental football governing body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced formation of the African Super League, a new club competition slated for kick-off in August next year.
The competition will feature 24 clubs from around the continent with US$12.5 million up for grabs.
A windfall for BFA
Announcing the epic tournament, CAF president Patrice Motsepe said one of the incentives will be a guaranteed US$1 million (P12.4 million) per year for all African football federations regardless of whether or not a team from a country is participating. The Botswana Football Association is set to receive this unexpected cash injection next year to help in its daily operations.
A report published by international outlet BBC states: “The current competition’s prize purse of $12.5m is only available for the top 16 teams, who contest the group stage, from an initial pool of over 50 clubs who register to compete.”
The competition is funded by world governing body FIFA to the tune of US$100 million. It has been formed to address the financial challenges of most African teams that struggle to meet the demands of participating in continental competitions, with flight and accommodation expenses proving costly.
Security Systems FC a case in point
A case in point is local club Security Systems FC that recently pulled out of competing in the CAF Confederation Cup due to financial constraints. The “Alarm Boys,” as the side is called by its fans, were set to face Saint Eloi Lupopo in the preliminary round next month but have withdrawn for lack of the necessary wherewithal.
Money in excess of P900 000 for was what the club needed for the two legs of their fixture with Lupopo.
CAF is yet to reveal more details about how clubs will qualify for the tournament and the criteria used to determine who participates in the competition.
Concerns
Most football fans have raised concerns about how the new tournament will affect the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. The African Super League is set to feature only 24 teams. This could see many clubs missing out on the tournament and only high profile teams getting to participate in it.