African Football League: Will it revolutionise football on the continent?

The idea was announced in 2019 and is a joint creation of the world football governing body, FIFA, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Finally, four years later, we are just days away from kick-off. Eight teams will battle it out in a knockout format for the first edition only. They will be playing for a share of a prize pot thought to be worth almost €10 million. The final match will be played on November 11th, and the first winner of the African Football League will be known.

It has been a long road to get this tournament underway. There have been many moving parts, and a loss of nearly €15 million in the last financial year for CAF has meant a delayed start. Initially, 24 teams were to make up the entire league. The number was reduced to eight for the first year only in order to get the tournament underway. Every round will be a two-legged knockout tie, including the final. Controversially, the teams that will play in the quarter-final are already known, without a single game being played.

Fiso Mazibuko is a sports commentator for SuperSportTV in South Africa. He told Football Now that the league has come at a good time, but it won't be without its challenges:

"It's good to see representation from around the continent. It's good to see that the game can continue to grow, and hopefully, you know, from a monetary point of view, it makes sense for everyone, and the level of competition is good. In Europe, for example, there was a lot of controversy regarding the Super League and how that was played out and essentially the big clubs getting bigger.

But what about logistics? The tournament will take place at a time when playing schedules are already crowded.

"Cutting the tournament from 24 teams to eight is useful