The Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Dr Patrice Motsepe has revealed the African Super League will kick off in October this year.
The African super League (ASL) was launched in August 2022 and was initially set to kick off with 24 teams.
However, the format – which to date hasn’t been revealed – has changed to eight teams, understood to be Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Al Ahly (Egypt), Wydad Club Athletic (Morocco), Esperance Tunis (Tunisia), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Petro de Luanda (Angola), AC Horoya (Guinea) and Simba SC (Tanzania).
“One of the key objectives of the African Super League is to work together with our clubs to pay football players in Africa, attractive and globally competitive salaries,” Motsepe said in a recent statement after attending the FIFPRO Africa Congress in Gaborone, Botswana.
“CAF will continue to engage and work together with FIFPRO to advance the interests and rights of football players in Africa and throughout the world. The biggest investment we can make is in our football players and youth football.”
Motsepe also confirmed that the ASL is set to kick off in October, but admitted the name might change after the huge backlash the European Super League received before it was ultimately cancelled.
“It’s very important, in October this year the inaugural African Super League will commence,” he told SABC Sport.
“We know the dates but some of the big sponsors are saying the history of the Super League in Europe was not good and if you associate the name ‘super‘ to a football competition, it has negative connotations.
“We’ve proceeded thus far and of course, we may change the name but what is indeed gonna happen is in October this year, the inaugural African Super League and I’m gonna keep using the name until such time when we’ve changed it, is gonna kick off.
“At the heart of that, it’s to make sure that there’s more financial resources, more investment in football pitches, more investments in academies, more investment in the youth, more investment in football for boys and girls and also more money for the players.
“Football has a short life and I’ve said this for the last 20 years. Every player for as long as they play football must make as much money as possible.”