All You Need To Know About African Football League
All You Need To Know About African Football League
THE LUCRATIVE 2024/2025 AFL- WILL A ZAMBIAN CLUB BE THERE?
Preperations are underway for the next edition of the African Football League.
The 2023 edition exceeded expectations with over half a Million people turning up to watch the competition which saw 14 games being played with Mamelodi Sundowns emerging as Champions.
CAF has projected that over $100 Million ( K2 Billion) to be invested in the competition which will go towards stadia infrastructure, enable clubs to pay better salaries to keep the best players longer in Africa as the general promotion of African football.
In the 2023 edition each club walked away with a $1 Million ( K24 Million) and unconfirmed reports state that the 2024/2025 edition could see each club recieving $2 Million ( K48 Million).
Given the information provided about the African Football League’s expansion and the clubs that have been confirmed for the 2024/2025 edition, it does seem challenging for a Zambian club to secure a spot in the upcoming season.
The competition is expanding to 24 clubs, with eight clubs representing East and Southern Africa, but seven of those slots have already been accounted fo ( Mamelodi Sundowns 🇿🇦, Orlando Pirates 🇿🇦, Petro Atlético 🇦🇴,Simba SC 🇹🇿, Young Africans 🇹🇿, Al Hilal 🇸🇩 and Al Merriekh 🇸🇩 )
This leaves one available slot in the region.
1. CAF 5-Year Ranking and the Contending Teams:
Based on the CAF 5-Year Rankings, it appears Jwaneng Galaxy from Botswana is in the best position to secure the final available slot in the East and Southern Africa region.
This is a setback for Zanaco FC, which currently holds the 54th rank, as opposed to Jwaneng Galaxy’s 34th rank.
This ranking suggests Jwaneng Galaxy is more likely to be selected based on their performance.
2. Legacy Spot Possibility:
However, there is a possibility that CAF may consider a “legacy spot” for the last available slot in the region, as it did for Enyimba SC in the 2023 edition.
A legacy spot would potentially favor clubs with a strong historical presence in African football.
In Zambia’s case, Zesco United and Nkana FC could benefit from this criteria.
Zesco United, in particular, has shown consistent performance over the last decade, while Nkana FC has a storied history in the CAF Champions League.
In summary, a Zambian club’s participation in the next edition of the African Football League appears to hinge on whether CAF chooses to allocate a legacy spot.
If CAF opts to prioritize rankings alone, Jwaneng Galaxy seems likely to take the final slot for the East and Southern Africa region.
