The brand new African Football League (AFL) kicks off in Dar-es-Salaam this week when Simba SC hosts reigning African champions Al Ahly SC on Friday 20 October 2023 in the competition’s opening game at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium at 15h00 GMT.
Here is all you need to know about the Confederation of African Football’s inaugural AFL competition.
What is the African Football League?
The African Football League is a new ‘premium’ global competition that features Africa’s premier, iconic clubs.
The objective of the AFL is to create a powerful new African football property that will bring much-needed new streams of financial investment into African football.
The AFL is not “Africa’s answer” to any other competition – it will have its own unique stand-alone identity.
Which teams are taking part in the inaugural edition?
The first edition of the AFL will feature eight of Africa’s most famous and successful teams from the 3 African Regional Blocks, which are: the North Region, the Central-West Region and the South-East Region.
The launch edition of the competition will feature Al Ahly (Egypt), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Esperance (Tunisia), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Enyimba (Nigeria) and Atlético Petróleos de Luanda (Angola).
How were the teams selected?
The teams were selected from each of the top-ranked leagues on the African continent
What format is the AFL played in?
The eight selected teams will play in a knockout format consisting of a quarter final, semi final and final.
Each tie will be played over two-legs, on a home and away basis.
The competition starts with knock-out quarter-finals and will be followed by the semi-finals and the final; all of which are played over two legs.
This historic Inaugural edition of the AFL will take place over four weeks, kicking off with the Opening Ceremony and the first match on 20 October 2023 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The semi-finals will take place between 29 October and 1 November.
The final matches, which will determine the winner of the Inaugural AFL competition, will take place on 5 and 11 November 2023.
What is the prize money?
The winners of the inaugural African Football League will receive prize money of $4 Million.
- The runner-up will get $2.8 Million.
- The two semi-finalists will each go home with $1.7 Million.
-The quarter-finalists will each win $900 000
How different is the AFL from the other CAF Competitions?
The AFL is a unique and special tournament, founded on Africa’s love and passion for football, the continent’s biggest and most important sport.
It is fostering healthy competitiveness and raising the level of Africa’s elite and emerging clubs.
In time the AFL will be Africa’s most exciting competition, providing a new dimension in terms of entertainment, television production and the fan experience.
Will the AFL ‘replace’ the CAF Champions League and will the CAFCL continue to exist?
The AFL will not cannibalise and compete with the CAF Champions League; the two competitions will exist independently and each will have their own strong unique qualities.
Both will be major African football properties, with wide global appeal.
How will the AFL affect the current African club football calendar?
The newly formed African Club Association and CAF are spending considerable time aligning the continental football calendars, and ensuring the AFL and CAF’s interclub competitions are not competing, but complementary products.
There will be a balance with ensuring club football sustainability, and extensive discussions around African football schedules are ongoing.
Why the need for an AFL and will it only benefit participating clubs?
The AFL will be an absolutely critical new African football property which will help realise CAF’s mission of ensuring African football is globally competitive and self-sustaining.
The AFL will not only benefit Africa’s strongest clubs, the distribution of money generated by the AFL will go to all 54 CAF members and local leagues to improve football development in those countries.
One of the key aims of the AFL is to ensure African football retains its best football talent on the African continent and continues to ensure the long-term success, strength and sustainability of African club football.
