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JOHANNESBURG. — The Africa Super League was launched in Tanzania this week amid much fanfare, with huge prize money for the 24 football clubs who qualify for the first edition next year.
Teams winning the current marquee competition, the CAF Champions League, pocket US$2.5 million. Winners of the Super League will be US$11.5 million richer.
The first edition of the Super League is set to kick off in August 2023, continue until May 2024 and culminate in a “Super Bowl-like” final. Here, supersport.com tells what is known about the Super League and also what is not known about a competition set to give football in Africa a considerable boost.
The Super League will begin with three eight-club regional groups – north, west-centre, south-east – and each team plays the other seven at home and away.
The top five finishers in each section plus the best sixth-placed side advance to a knockout phase consisting of a round of 16, quarter-finals and semifinals over two legs and a final.
Qualifiers will be decided by rankings based on results in CAF competitions over a period of time yet to be announced.
There will reportedly be clubs from 16 countries in the launch edition with a maximum of three from a nation. Morocco could provide Casablanca clubs Raja and Wydad plus Renaissance Berkane.
The original plan to have 20 permanent Super League members with a few additional clubs qualifying has been scrapped.
Instead, promotion-relegation play-offs from the end of the first edition will determine the make-up.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said each qualifier would receive US$3.5 million up front to cover travel and accommodation costs and to strengthen squads. — SuperSport
Online Reporter
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