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What Is The African Football League?

Originally posted on FanNation Futbol
By Robert Summerscales | Last updated 10/19/23

The first edition of the African Football League will kick off on Friday with the opening game taking place in Tanzania.

It is a new elite club tournament and the brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Speaking in February 2020, Infantino declared that African club soccer needed a new continental competition.

Infantino said that the continent had lacked "proper competition infrastructure" and that existing tournaments - such as the African Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup - were "30 to 40 times less successful than Europe".

He later claimed that the AFL "is set to change the future of club football on the continent".

The AFL will be organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in partnership with FIFA.

But what is the African Football League?

2023 African Football League

The first edition of the African Football League will not be a league at all.

Instead, it will be a two-legged knockout tournament, starting with the quarter-finals this month.

A two-legged final will be held across November 5 and November 11.

Tanzanian Premier League side Simba will take on Egyptian champions Al Ahly SC in the first quarter-final.

Whichever team wins that battle will meet either Angola's Petro de Luanda or South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals.

The other quarter-finals will see Congolese outfit TP Mazembe take on Tunisia's Esperance de Tunis, with Enyimba of Nigeria facing Morocco's Wydad AC.

African Football League Prize Money

A total of $14 million will be distributed in prize money during the 2023 edition of the AFL.

$4m for the winner
$3m for the team that loses the final
$1.7m for each of the losing semi-finalists
$900,000 for each of the losing quarter-finalists

Where Is That Money Coming From?

Saudi Arabia's public tourism agency will be the African Football League's main backer initially.

A five-year partnership to make Visit Saudi the tournament's chief sponsor was signed in May.

Saudi Arabia is bidding to host the 2034 World Cup and many view the nation's support of the AFL project as a move to get into FIFA's good books.

The Rwandan government recently became another sponsor and Visit Rwanda branding will be visible on player jerseys.

Second Edition Format

The AFL will look very different in the 2024/25 season.

It is expected that the second edition of the tournament will include 22 teams competing in a much-extended format.

A statement published on the tournament's official website reads: "Anticipating remarkable growth, the AFL's second edition is slated to accommodate a total of 22 teams, signifying an expansion in scale and a greater inclusivity of clubs from across the continent.

"The upcoming edition will also feature an extended format, running throughout the season, thereby providing fans and enthusiasts with a more prolonged and engaging football experience."

This article first appeared on FanNation Futbol and was syndicated with permission.

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