Fifa has unveiled the first-ever African Football League which will showcase the best of African club football to fans on the continent and across the globe.
In a statement on Saturday, Fifa said the draw for the maiden league will take place in Cairo, Egypt ahead of the start of the competition on October 20, 2023.
“This competition will play a great and effective role in taking African football to the next level, by providing the optimum platform for players and clubs to compete against each other,” Fifa President Gianni Infantino said.
The world football governing body said the first edition of the tournament will feature eight of Africa’s most famous and successful teams “with several intriguing clashes set to thrill fans on the continent and across the world”.
“The competition will be played in knockout format, starting with the eight teams contesting four quarter-final clashes,” Fifa said in a statement.
“All ties, including the semi-finals and final, will be played over two legs on a home-and-away basis.”
The draw is as follows:
Simba (Tanzania) v Al Ahly (Egypt)
Tout Puissant Mazembe (DR Congo) v Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)
Enyimba (Nigeria) v Wydad (Morocco)
Atletico Petroleos de Luanda (Angola) v Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
The AFL will take place over four weeks, kicking off with the opening ceremony and the first match on October 20, 2023, in Dar es Salam, Tanzania.
The semi-finals will be played between October 29, and November 1.
The two legs of the final will be contested on November 5 and 11, 2023.
“The inaugural AFL is a precursor to the fully-fledged AFL competition which will feature the 24 highest ranked football African clubs and will commence during the 2024/2025 football season,” Fifa said.
The AFL is a partnership between CAF and FIFA.
The real story is that African football players are taking over European football at every level and we are not talking about legendary giants like Zinedine Zidane
This is not even about Didier Drogba and he was probably one of the greatest African football players in Europe.
We are not even talking about the World Cup Legend Roger Miller from Cameroon who took Africa to the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time in 1990 scoring four goals. Roger Miller was 38 years old at that time.
Something fresh is happening with African players in the big football leagues in Europe. They are everywhere and they are terrific.
Who the heck are these great football players at very young age? They are champions in Europe football and the new ones they are bringing are more scary.
Sangare
Africa has Mo Salah who has won everything possible in football.
