African Football League: What It Entails, Participating Teams, Prize Money and Format

• The African Football League kicks off on Friday, October 20, four years after the idea was conceived
• Eight elite teams across the continent will compete in the inaugural edition of the competition
• Matches will be played on a home and away basis, with the first round as the quarter-finals

The much-anticipated African Football League (AFL) will kick off in Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania, on Friday, October 20, as Simba FC hosts the reigning African champions and football royalty Al Ahly SC.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has selected eight elite teams from across the continent for the tournament, initially called the African Super League.

Africa will witness competition from the top clubs, raising the stakes considerably in a tournament that brings an exciting new continental football product to the world football calendar.

An idea for such a completion was conceived and introduced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino during a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2019, and four years later, the competition will kick off, DW reports.

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African Football League participating teams

1. Simba SC (Tanzania)
2. Al Ahly (Egypt)
3. Petro Atletico de Luanda (Angola)
4. TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
5. Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
6. Enyimba FC (Nigeria)
7. Esperance Tunis (Tunisia)
8. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

African Football League format

The eight teams will play in a knockout format consisting of a quarter-final, semi-final and final.

Each tie will be played over two legs, on a home and away basis, with the semi-finals set to take place between October 29 and November 1.

Matches will be played on a home and away basis, with the first round as the quarter-finals.

African Football League fixtures

Friday, October 20:

Tanzanian side Simba vs Al Ahly

Saturday, October 21:

Atlético Petróleos de Luanda vs Mamelodi Sundowns

TP Mazembe vs Esperance of Tunisia

Sunday, October 22:

Enyimba FC vs Wydad Athletic Club

African Football League Prize Money:

According to an official statement by CAF, the winners of the inaugural edition of the African Football League will take home a staggering $ 4 million in prize money.

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The runner-up will get $2.8 million. The two other semi-finalists will each get $1.7 Million. The quarter-finalists will each win $900,000.

While the teams will compete for the ultimate cash prize, the main objective of the competition is to provide a new footballing experience for fans in terms of entertainment and television production.

African Football League's Hectic schedule

Sports Brief earlier reported that the round features home and away matches with a hectic schedule, potentially including several trips covering the continent's length, due to conclude on November 11.

Ahly and Wydad met in the last two CAF Champions League finals, winning one each, and they will be the teams to beat in the AFL.

The build-up has been beset with problems, including the South African Premiership banning Sundowns from taking part, saying it would lead to domestic fixture congestion.