Nigerian clubs excluded from proposed African Super League

Wydad Athletic of Morocco ousted Nigeria’s Rivers United from the 2022/23 CAF Champions League.

No Nigerian club will feature in the inaugural edition of the African Super League, which is expected to kick off in August. Enyimba of Aba was the only Nigerian side earlier listed to participate in the league, which was formerly meant to feature 24 teams. But the Peoples Elephant and some other big names in African football have been excluded from the competition, which will now feature only eight teams.

According to sources close to the planners of the league, the eight teams expected to feature in the inaugural edition are 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.

Raja Athletic Club of Morocco, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa, Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia, Asec Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire and Zamalek of Egypt are some of the other big clubs excluded from the competition. And there is also no West African team in the inaugural competition.   A source told The Guardian that the listed clubs have accepted the invitation to participate in the league. Selected FIFA and Super League delegates recently met with the clubs.

When the idea of the CAF Super League was first muted, it was proposed that 24 teams from 16 countries will participate in it, but the number was later reduced to eight ‘for better coordination.’

“CAF officials have visited the selected clubs to inspect the standard of their facilities and nail down the final details,” the source said.  When the idea of the Super League was proposed by CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, the total prize pool was