Mamelodi Sundowns will be one of the eight teams in the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) newly created Africa Super League, which will debut in August.
According to MTN FC reports, Sundowns met with a few FIFA and Super League delegates this past week and is claimed to have accepted the invitation.
There have been few facts released about the competition, however it’s been reported that the 24 teams from 16 nations that were initially intended have been reduced to eight teams.
The eight clubs have received visits to assess their facilities, chosen the participating venues, and coordinated the last-minute aspects of their participation during this process.
Some well-known clubs that will not be participating include Raja Athletic Club, Orlando Pirates, and Kaizer Chiefs. TP Mazembe will take the place of the Botola Pro giants.
The eight clubs, plus Masandawana, are expected to include Petro de Luanda (Angola), Mazembe (DR Congo), Horoya (Guinea), Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania), and Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia).
It’s unclear whether each club will continue to get the $1 million award for participating or if the overall prize money pool will stay at $100 million as part of the original proposal made by CAF President Patrice Motsepe when it was announced it will feature 24 teams.
According to sources in Egyptian media, Ahly would want the Arab to accept the invitation.
A single group of home and away matches is most likely to take place as part of the 2023–2024 domestic season, with the champion potentially earning a place in the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, where four spaces are available for Africa.
As of right now, there is no sign that the traditional CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup competitions would no longer exist.
Source: SoccaNews.com