The much-talked about African Super League was finally launched by CAF (Confederation of African Football) president Patrice Motsepe and his Fifa counterpart Gianni Infantino in Tanzania on Wednesday.
Its launch followed the CAF general assembly, where final deliberations were held and outlined regarding the controversial tournament.
The concept is the brainchild of Infantino, who sold the idea to CAF after it was rejected by the European fans and clubs.
The tournament is seen as an innovative way to bring in more money for football clubs on the continent. The inaugural competition will start in August 2023 with a total prize money of $100-million (R1.6-billion), and the winner will walk away with a cool $11-million.
Motsepe said the league will be a fundamental contributor to the significant improvement of African football.
“It’s about the development and the growth of African football. The African Super League is an exciting improvement on the continent in terms of the objectives and what we are trying to achieve. Our aim is to make sure that African club football is world-class and competes with the best in the world,” said Motsepe.
“Investors and sponsors have shown a huge enthusiasm to be part of this tournament because football unites people from different religions, ethnic groups and races in common pursuit of making African football to improve.
“We have been engaging with various leagues and national federations and explaining how it will work and how it will contribute to their clubs financially and onto the field. We will also give each of the 54 CAF federations $1-million to develop their national teams.”
The CAF president continued: “This was just a preliminary launch, we will have a formal unveiling in a few months. But we will continue engaging the federations and national associations.”
Infantino added: “This is the best way to improve African club football. The clubs will get better because most of the time, some clubs do not play in quality competitions.
“The unity in this collaboration is very important, and if we put together the talent and the passion for football in this continent, we will increase the opportunities for players to play at the top level.
“This tournament will also assist and contribute to the growth of African national teams.”
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