CAF in Advanced Talks for African Super League With $200M Prize Pool

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has entered advanced negotiations to launch an African Super League, a continental club competition with a guaranteed prize pool of $200 million — more than ten times the current CAF Champions League purse of $17.5 million. BuzzyAfrica has confirmed the talks through three sources with direct knowledge of the discussions.

A summit held in Casablanca last month brought together CAF president Patrice Motsepe, representatives from 18 of Africa's top football clubs, broadcast executives, and private investors. The meeting was organized by A-League Sports, a newly formed entity registered in Mauritius that includes investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Qatari Sports Investment (QSI).

The proposed league would feature 24 clubs from across Africa, divided into three groups of eight for a round-robin phase, followed by knockout rounds. Clubs would be selected based on a combination of historical performance, domestic league standing, commercial value, and stadium infrastructure.

Under the current proposal, each participating club would receive a minimum $3 million appearance fee, with the tournament winner earning $40 million — a sum that would dwarf the €20 million earned by the winner of UEFA's Europa League.

"African football has been undervalued for decades," said a source close to the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The talent pipeline from Africa feeds Europe's biggest clubs — Salah, Mané, Osimhen, Hakimi — but the financial returns stay in Europe. This league would ensure that African clubs and ecosystems benefit from the value African players create."

The broadcast rights package is the linchpin of the financial model. Preliminary discussions with DSTV/SuperSport, beIN Sports, Canal+ Afrique, and Amazon Prime Video suggest a combined media rights deal worth $120-150 million annually — a figure driven by Africa's young, football-obsessed population of 1.4 billion and growing digital viewership.

Not all stakeholders are enthusiastic. The African Football Players' Union (AFPU) has raised concerns about fixture congestion and player welfare. "Adding another continental competition without reducing domestic or existing CAF obligations puts players' health at risk," said AFPU general secretary Thierry Nsame.

FIFA's position remains unclear. The global governing body blocked a similar African Super League proposal in 2022 but has since softened its stance on regional competitions, particularly following the launch of the expanded Club World Cup format.

A formal announcement is expected at the CAF General Assembly in July 2026, with the inaugural season tentatively planned for September 2027.

Source: Three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations; CAF financial reports.