Gianni Infantino, FIFA president has lauded the new ‘African Football League’ competition, hailing it as a new project capable of transforming African football and taking it to the next level.
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The AFL is the latest result of the fruitful partnership between the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA, and its debut format will bring together eight of Africa’s most famous and successful teams with the aim of highlighting the quality of the game on the continent.
The world governing football body leader made this known when addressing those gathered in Cairo, Egypt, for the draw of the continental competition’s inaugural edition through a recorded video.
“At FIFA, it is our mission to make football truly global, and we have always believed in the development of football in Africa, something our FIFA Forward program has helped underline.”
“This competition is a great and effective way of taking African football to the next level, and that is something I am personally delighted to see”, he added.
Infantino further allayed that the competition would drive foreign and domestic investment in African football, provide the perfect stage for the continent’s best clubs and players to compete against each other, and engage more fans, both in Africa and the rest of the world. It would also set the standard for sustained development, accessibility, and inclusivity in Africa.
“We have had just two African finalists in the history of the FIFA Club World Cup,” said the FIFA President referring to Tout Puissant Mazembe and Raja Casablanca, runners-up in 2010 and 2013 respectively. “This competition will help these teams develop the footballing and financial muscle to consistently match – and perhaps then defeat – the very best the rest of the world has to offer.”
All matches will be streamed live on the AFL website and televised by CAF’s broadcast partners with the 2023 edition serving as an appetizer for an expanded 24-team competition in the 2024/25 campaign.
“FIFA has been supporting CAF and the AFL by sharing its wealth of organizational and logistical expertise, and I am proud to say that CAF and the AFL have done a wonderful job in what they have put in place so far to bring this competition to life,” explained Mr. Infantino.
“While this first edition will certainly be fantastic, I’m already looking forward to the future, and the opportunities of the next edition, which will be expanded to feature 24 teams representing over 16 different countries.
“More clubs means more stadiums, more host cities, and more fans watching more exciting matches, fuelling the development of African football with their fantastic passion for the game. This competition is a world first and it is a great pleasure and privilege to see it come to life alongside all of you.”
The draw, featuring teams from across the entire continent, was as follows: Simba Sports Club (Tanzania) v Al Ahly FC (Egypt), Tout Puissant Mazembe (Congo DR) v Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Enyimba Football Club (Nigeria) v Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) and Atlético Petróleos de Luanda (Angola) v Mamelodi Sundowns FC (South Africa).
The fixtures of the Inaugural AFL competition are structured on a home-and-away basis. The competition starts with knock-out quarter-finals and will be followed by the semi-finals and the final; all of which are played over two legs.
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This historic Inaugural edition of the AFL will take place over four weeks, kicking off with the Opening Ceremony and the first match on 20 October 2023 in Dar es Salam, Tanzania.
The semi-finals will take place between 29 October and 1 November.
The final matches which will determine the winner of the Inaugural AFL competition will take place on 5 and 11 November 2023.
The Inaugural AFL is a precursor to the fully-fledged AFL competition which will feature the 24 highest-ranked football clubs on the African Continent and will commence during the 2024/2025 football season.
