Listen to this article here

A new African Super League has been launched by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with $100 million in prize money for participating teams.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe and FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the launch of the African Super League last week. The league will be made of 24 teams across 16 countries, with a maximum of three clubs per country.

FILE – Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe, left, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino hold the African Cup of Nations 2022 trophy after the final soccer match between Senegal and Egypt at the Olembe stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon, Feb. 6, 2022. Motsepe is set to launch a 24-club super league that he has promised will revolutionize soccer on the continent and become its richest competition. The scheduled launch later Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, will come as Motsepe’s organization reported a loss of nearly $50 million last year. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)

“The African Super League would contribute to ensuring that football on the African Continent is managed and operated at the same professional, ethical and governance level as UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and other Confederations,” said Motsepe at the league’s launch.

Africa Super League – Thread ??

Motsepe; “The Africa Super League would contribute to ensuring that football on the African Continent is managed and operated at the same professional, ethical and governance level as UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and other Confederations”. pic.twitter.com/vyUlqgAUT0

— Adepoju Tobi Samuel ?? (@OgaNlaMedia) August 12, 2022

The league is scheduled to begin in August 2023, with each of the 24 teams being given $2.5 million at the start to help cover expenses.

[irp]

“One of the biggest problems of the top African clubs participating in the current Champions League is they spend a lot of money on transport and accommodation,” said Motsepe.

“And when they win money, what they get does not justify or compensate for the huge expenses they’ve undertaken. So for the first 24 clubs that we want to be part of the African Super League, we will give them a contribution every year of $2.5 million to use,” he said.

Funding for African Super League

There are many critics of the newly formed African Super League, and a large part has to do with the funding of such a league. The CAF reported a loss of nearly $50 million in recent audits, with their reserves plummeting from $94 million to around $50 million.

“We believe we can change the face of African football,” Motsepe said, repeating there was huge interest from commercial partners. “We are raising $100 million, and we are confident that it will make a huge contribution in improving the quality and the standard of African football.”

[irp]

Motsepe believes that through sponsorships and revenue returns, the African Super League is expected to generate $200 million annually, which would put it among the top 10 in the world.

The Africa Super League has been launched in Tanzania by CAF and FIFA Presidents pic.twitter.com/8LXXJFOX9u

— Erik (@EricNjiiru) August 10, 2022

In comparison, UEFA’s Champions League splits $2 billion in prize money among European clubs.

Still, the $100 million split among African clubs is something that would bring big attention to the sport on the largest continent.

Details are still being ironed out, as meetings are scheduled to take place in the coming months, so we’ll see how the financial structure takes shape and who invests in this new super league.

Mike Creef is a fighter for equality and justice for all. Growing up bi-racial (Jamaican-American) on the east coast allowed him to experience many different cultures and beliefs that helped give him a...