February 27, (THEWILL) – The inaugural edition of the African Super League, set to launch in August, will exclude several notable Nigerian clubs.
Enyimba of Aba was originally listed to participate in the league, but the final eight-team selection does not include any Nigerian representation. The participating clubs include Al Ahly (Egypt), Petro de Luanda (Angola), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Horoya (Guinea), Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
The chosen clubs have already accepted the invitation to participate and, although the initial plan was to feature 24 teams, the number was eventually reduced to eight. The CAF officials have inspected the facilities and are finalising the details of the pilot edition.
The tournament’s winner’s fate remains unclear as CAF has not specified if the victor will play in the expanded Club World Cup, which offers four places to Africa. Despite the exclusion of several major African football clubs, CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, states that the African Super League will “breathe new life” into African club competition.
The league also has the potential to uplift African football and youth development through its investments and prize money contributions to participating teams. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will have to put plans in motion to ensure that domestic teams do not lose out on such opportunities in the continent and beyond.
About the Author
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.
