- Caf African Super League in the pipeline
- Big three set to be part of the new competition
- Will the PSL suffer from the Super League?
WHAT HAPPENED: The Premier Soccer League's big three teams, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns are set take part in the 24-team Caf African Super League. The inaugural continental showpiece was expected to kick-off this year.
However, Caf president, Patrice Motsepe is yet to reveal when the competition will start, but he is looking to rope in sponsorships, potentially from Saudi Arabia. This new tournament is expected to rival the Caf Champions League, as both competitions are set to run concurrently.
Meanwhile, the Champions League, where Downs and Bucs will be competing in next season, rewards the winner with USD4-million (approximately R78,6 million) while the PSL, which Sundowns claimed for a sixth successive season, comes with a R15-million prize money.
The Super League will comprise of the top ranked 24 teams on the continent, and as it stands, the top three in Mzansi are set to be part of it and might lose appetite for the PSL, given the lucrative reward that comes with doing well in the anticipated Super League.
WHAT WAS SAID: "We are using the Super League for one and only main purpose, as a means to get money to be shared amongst the member associations. There is a promotion and relegation and of course to build the quality of football," Motsepe told members of the media in Cosafa's latest annual general meeting, as per iDiski Times.
Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, who is usually seen alongside Motsepe in official Caf and Fifa events, is looking forward to the launch of the Super League.
Infantino added: "As Fifa president, I am happy to witness such a historic moment of this exciting football project to boost and improve club football in Africa. African club football needs to be brought to the next level and to do that, it is important to be innovative and to have new ideas, while fully respecting the existing institutional framework," said Infantino.
"The Africa Super League, built within the international football pyramid structure, is a project which will make African club football shine in Africa and beyond," he added.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: A similar format of the Super League was rejected in Europe, but it seems to have received the green light in Africa as Caf president, Patrice Motsepe, is championing the new competition.
It comes with a lot of money, with the prize money of the Super League expected to be USD100-million (approximately R1,96 billion), with the winner receiving USD11.5-million (approximately R221 million). The African football governing body also committed to a yearly grant of USD2-5-million (about R49 million) for being part of the Super League to use for expenses, including transport and player transfers.
WHAT'S NEXT: Motsepe will continue to look for sponsors to blood this competition and a date of the kick-off will be announced soon.
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