July 13, (THEWILL) – The Confederation of African Football (CAF), has confirmed that the new African Football League will kick off on October 20, 2023.
The competition will feature eight teams, and it is expected to be a major boost for African club football. CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, has spoken at length about the need to improve the appeal of African football, and the new league is seen as a key part of that. The league is expected to be more competitive and exciting than the current CAF Champions League, and it is hoped that it will attract more fans and sponsors.
The eight teams that will participate in the inaugural season of the African Football League have not yet been confirmed, but they are expected to include some of the continent’s biggest clubs. These could include Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Ahly, TP Mazembe, and Esperance. It is not clear which club will represent Nigeria, but Enyimba International, the domestic champions, are in contention.
The new league is part of CAF’s efforts to improve the commercial viability of African football. The organisation is also hoping to increase the revenue that it generates from television and marketing rights.
CAF has confirmed that it has lost money in recent years, but it is confident that the new league will help to turn things around as it announced better earnings from the previous year. The organisation is also planning to introduce a new club licensing system, which is designed to improve the quality of African club football as well.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
