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African Super League: Who could be the 20 qualifiers?

Dead CertsAhly are Africa’s biggest and most successful&nbsp;club, while they&nbsp;were named Africa’s Club of the Century for the 1900s.They were defeated Caf Champions League finalists earlier this year, but would be the franchise players—and immediate favourites—for the maiden African Super League.

Al-Ahly

Dead certs
Five-time African champions Zamalek will definitely also be included.

They&nbsp;boast a significant fanbase,&nbsp;are a&nbsp;wealthy club, and their Clasico against Ahly would be one of the standout fixtures of the Super League calendar.

SC Zamalek

Dead certsReigning African champions Wydad are Morocco’s most successful club, second only to Ahly in the Caf rankings and boast 20 domestic titles.They’ve recently enjoyed continental success as well—winning the Champions League in 2022 and 2017—and were defeated finalists in 2011 and 2019.

Wydad Casablanca

Dead certs
You can’t really include Wydad without including Raja, who were Caf Champions League semi-finalists last time around.

They’re one of Africa’s most compelling clubs, enjoy massive support, and provided one of Africa’s greatest teams with the two-time Champions League winners of 1997 and 1999.

Raja are also Caf Confederation Cup semi-finalists this time around.

Raja Casablanca

Dead certsBack-to-back Champions League winners in 2018 and 2019, Esperance are Tunisia’s biggest club.There’s absolutely no way they could be overlooked.

Esperance

Dead certs
ESS are also guaranteed entrants from Tunisia.

They enjoyed their finest hours at the start of the century—winning one Champions League, two Confederation Cups, and were defeated finalists in two other Caf CL finals in the space of five years.

They’ve not been as successful since then—apart from winning the Confed Cup in 2015—but couldn't be overlooked for the Super League.

Etoile du Sahel

Dead certs
Are Sundowns the best placed South African side to qualify for the maiden edition of the African Super League?

They have established themselves as the nation’s most successful side during Motsepe’s ownership, thoroughly eclipsing Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates over the last 15 years.

They are also former African champions—winning the crown in 2016—and there’s surely no way that the new Caf president’s own team would be excluded from the Super League!

Mamelodi Sundowns

Dead certs
Looking far better placed than fellow East Africans Gor Mahia, Young Africans and KCCA FC, Simba appear locks for the first Super League.

They do have some continental pedigree—they were Champions League runners-up back in 1972—and their statement victory over Al-Ahly earlier this year has drawn many eyes to their strong current standing.

CEO Barbara Gonzalez has been&nbsp;cosying up to Gianni Infantino, and her recent confidence in the Super League project also suggests Simba won’t be left out.

Certainly, it would be a massive shock if they didn't make the Super League.

Simba SC

Dead certs
Sub-Saharan Africa’s powerhouse, TP&nbsp;Mazembe are one of Africa’s top ten richest clubs, and would also be the key representatives of the Central African region.

Games at their Lubumbashi home would be a commercial spectacle, and their trio of Caf Champions League successes over the last 12 years ensure they’ll be included.

TP Mazembe

Probables&nbsp;
Rivalries and derbies would fuel interest in an African Super League, and so Vita Club—themselves a major club—should fancy their chances of being included as Central Africa’s second representatives alongside their bitter rivals Mazembe.

They have reached two major African finals since 2014, and were African champions back in 1973.

AS Vita Club

ProbablesOne of Africa's biggest football brands, Chiefs reached the final of the Champions League in 2021.Unless Caf coefficients come into play, they surely wouldn't be overlooked, while their 16-million-strong fanbase would be a committed and valuable audience for broadcasters.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It also means that while 11/56 states would be represented: 🇿🇦🇹🇳🇹🇿🇪🇬🇲🇦🇩🇿🇳🇬🇨🇩🇦🇴🇬🇳🇸🇩 45/56 would not: 🇧🇫🇧🇮🇧🇯🇧🇼🇨🇫🇨🇬🇨🇮🇨🇻🇨🇲🇩🇯🇪🇹🇪🇷🇬🇦🇬🇶🇬🇲🇬🇭🇬🇼🇰🇪🇰🇲🇱🇷🇱🇸🇲🇬🇱🇾🇲🇱🇲🇷🇳🇪🇳🇦🇲🇿🇲🇼🇲🇺🇷🇪🇸🇨🇷🇼🇸🇱🇸🇳🇸🇴🇹🇩🇸🇿🇸🇸🇸🇹🇹🇬🇺🇬🇿🇼🇿🇲 (Zanzibar) How do fans in these 45 feel about this? Would they support a Super League? <a href="https://t.co/XUWIjm4s8E" target="_self">https://t.co/XUWIjm4s8E</a> — Ed Dove (@EddyDove) <a href="https://twitter.com/EddyDove/status/1371856535991816192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_self">March 16, 2021</a></blockquote><script asyncsrc="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Kaizer Chiefs

Probables
Not the force they once were, perhaps, but Pirates are nonetheless a massive club, among Africa’s richest, and would be a valuable addition to the African Super League.

Struggling at the moment, they were nonetheless African champions in 1995 - the first South African side to win the competition.

Orlando Pirates

Probables
The most successful team in the Sudanese top flight with 27 titles, Hilal are domestic royalty and consistent competitors in Caf competitions.

They were Champions League runners-up in ’87 and ’92—the pinnacle of their African success—but reached the semis as recently as 2015.

Counting against them, however, is that they haven't advanced past the First Round since.

Al-Hilal

Probables
If Hilal make the cut, then Merreikh surely need to as well!

The Omdurman derby would be one of the standout attractions of the African Super League, and Hilal’s inclusion would be enhanced by Merreikh also participating.

They’re domestic giants, reigning Sudanese champions, and also won continental gold—albeit in Caf’s secondary club competition—in 1989.

Al-Merreikh

Possibles
Nigeria's NPFL surely needs a representative in the Super League, even if the nation has been short on continental success in recent years.

If only one&nbsp;team from the Nigerian top flight&nbsp;can make the cut, it surely has to be Enyimba.

The People's Elephant won the title in 2019, have won eight titles (more than any other side), and were two-time African champions. The Enyimba side of 2003-2005 is one of the continent’s finest sides of this century, although they've fallen far from those levels in the intervening years.

Enyimba

Probables
The only things counting against Pyramids are their lack of pedigree - they were only formed in 2008 - and the fact they've never participated in the Caf Champions League.

They were&nbsp;defeated Caf Confederation Cup finalists last year, are still in the running this time around, and would be lucrative additions to the Super League.

Pyramids

PossiblesWhich Algerian side ought to be included in the African Super League?JS Kabylie are the nation’s most successful side domestically, CR Belouizdad are the reigning champions, while MC Alger were African champions in 1976 and ES Setif in 1988.They each have a strong case, while USM Alger—currently the highest ranked in the Caf club rankings—might prove to be the most competitive inclusion.

USM Alger

Outside Bets
One of the grand old names of African football, Kotoko were genuine giants in the late 60s and early 70s, reaching four Champions League finals and winning one.

Their stock has fallen dramatically since - although they were twice defeated Caf Confed Cup finalists in the early 2000s.&nbsp;

They'd be a great 'heritage' inclusion, but surely there are worthier contenders.

Asante Kotoko

Possibles
Infantino and Motsepe would need to find some representation for the considerable Lusophone market across Africa.

The likes of Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome e Principe have had little success in Africa, so oil-rich Angola would surely need to provide the representatives for the Super League.

A case could be made for two Girabola teams to be included, but will Infantino go for Petro Atletico—the league’s most successful side—or Primeiro, who have won the last four championships?

The latter were also Champions League semi-finalists as recently as 2018, so they probably just edge this one.

Primeiro de Agosto

An African club on the rise, Berkane were Confederation Cup winners for the first time in 2020, having been runners-up to SC Zamalek in the final showpiece&nbsp;the season before.They followed that up with success again - this time against Orlando Pirates - in the Confed Cup final earlier this year.They would be worthy inclusions in the Super League, but could Morocco really have three qualifiers? If not, surely Raja and Wydad will get the nod...

RS Berkane

African Super League: Who could be the 20 qualifiers? | Goal.com Nigeria

African Super League: GOAL’s Ed Dove predicts the 20 teams he’s tipping to take their places in Caf’s inaugural Super League, which kicks off in August.

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