The CAF African Super League has been launched. The African Continental league is the first of its kind in Africa.
The African Super League project has been in the proverbial pipeline since the idea was first conceived and suggested by FIFA president Gianni Infantino in 2020.
A similar attempt in Europe was met with outrage. However Africans took the decision with open hands with only a fraction of the countries having issues with it.
It is only the players’ union in South Africa who released a statement criticizing the plan this week.
The South African players union said “Professional football in South Africa and Africa could be at risk if the resolution to commence with the Super League is implemented and there may be no return from the wreckage that a Super League can become.”
So the question on the minds of many is what is the African Super League.
What is the African Super League?
The African Super League is a special tournament that will play host to the elite clubs in the African continent.
The sole reason behind this new vision of the African Super League is the huge financial benefits that will go beyond 200 million dollars. It is expected that the drive will lead to an ability to generate close to $3bn in revenue.
The sum that will be generated will help in the development and improvement of football infrastructure in the continent.
FIFA president Gianno Infantino had the honour of launching the African Super League during his visit to DR Congo to celebrate the ever powerful TP Mazembe’s 80th anniversary.
The tournament has been official launched in Arusha Tanzania during the 44th Ordinary General Assembly of CAF.
You can watch the video of the launch which is attached to this article.
Number of teams that will participate in the African Super League?
Reports had it that the number of teams that will participate in the Super League will be 24 and the teams will be drawn into three groups of eight teams each.
This will come a head of a knockout stage starting from the round of 16.
The qualifying teams will also have an additional requirements of having a youth and women’s football development attached to the team.
The participating teams will be taken from high -ranked African teams who have been doing well in the recent past and that they will be grouped in regional basis of the continent like the North, Central/West, South/East.
Reactions following the launch of the Africa Super League
Many footballers and actors in the world of football have been talking.
Former Nigeria international Finidi George is one of such persons. He believes the African Super League will lead to a massive development of football in Africa.
“I think that would help the development of football in Africa,” George reported spoke to GOAL.
“That being said, I think the African Super League is good as we will have the best teams compete amongst themselves.
“There is nothing wrong about that. However, we don’t have to always copy what the Europeans are doing.
“Why must we always wait for someone elsewhere to start an initiative first before we start thinking?
“We should always be the first to initiate something that others would want to emulate.”
Watch the video of the launch of the African Super league today.
