- African Supper League set to start
- The name to be changed
- Motsepe sheds more light on the new tournament
WHAT HAPPENED: On November 29, 2019, the Confederation of African Football (Caf), officially announced the introduction of the African Super League to spice up the game on the continent.
The essence of the tournament is huge financial returns, projected to exceed $100 million that will be used to improve infrastructure and promote the game on the continent.
Apart from confirming the first edition will take place before the year ends, Motsepe further stated the name will be changed to attract more sponsors.
Furthermore, the administrator has explained why the players should embrace the competition.
WHAT HE SAID: "In October this year, the inaugural Super League will commence; some people were asking for the dates, we have it," Motsepe revealed during the FIFPRO Africa Congress in Gaborone, Botswana.
"Some of the big sponsors are saying 'the history of the Super League in Europe was not good.'
"If you associate the name 'super' with a football competition, it has negative connotations. We may change the name, but what indeed is going to happen in October is the inaugural. I will keep using the name 'the African Super League' until we change it.
It is going to kick off; at the heart of that is to make sure there are more financial resources, more investments in football pitches, more investments in academies, more investments in the youth, and also more money for the players.
"African players, like all footballers all over the world, have a short life and as long as they are playing they have to make as much money as possible."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The competition was initially announced in August 2022 as involving 24 teams from Central/West Africa, South/East Africa, and North Africa, in a group format of eight teams each.
However, more recent reports say the ambitious Super League plans have been pared down for the Inaugural edition to a single group of eight teams believed to include Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Al Ahly (Egypt), Petro de Luanda (Angola), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Horoya (Guinea), Wydad Atheltic Club (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania) and Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia).
In the original announcement the winner was tipped to receive $11.5 million and each participating team would be guaranteed $2.5 million. But with the reduction in size and scope of the tournament, prize money levels are unknown.
WHAT NEXT: Caf has been working hard to ensure the competition is part of the 2023/24 season fixtures and African fans can now look forward to seeing a version of the Africa Super League in October.