E16M WINDFALL FOR EFA

MBABANE – It’s going to rain money for the Eswatini Football Association (EFA).

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will pump in about 16 million (US$1 million) yearly to EFA for football youth development. The good news for all the 54 CAF members was delivered by the President and billionaire Dr Patrice Motsepe after the continental football body’s executive meeting this past Sunday. The E16 million to be given to the members is proceeds to come from the African Super League, that will be launched in August 2022 in Tanzania. It is expected to kick-off in August 2023 with the prize money of $100 million (about E1.6 billion).

“We will be engaging with stakeholders over the next few weeks to discuss the mechanics of the tournament and will release further details shortly. A significant amount of the money from the CAF Super League will be invested back into African football and part of the process involves giving $1 million every year to every one of CAF’s 54 Member Associations, as a contribution to football and youth development. We also want to look to increase the prize money for the men’s and women’s CAF Champions Leagues,” said Dr Motsepe.

The competition will breathe new life into African club competition. Winners and participants of the inaugural African Super League will receive significant prize monies and the proceeds from the tournament will include substantial solidarity payments to all CAF Member Associations including the EFA. Dr Motsepe said: “The decision has now been taken to implement the CAF Super League. It will start in August 2023 and we will launch it during CAF’s 44th Ordinary Assembly in Tanzania on August 10. We have been inundated with investors and sponsors, who are anxious to partner with us on the CAF Super League. It has huge potential to significantly uplift African football and to make it even more powerful,” he said. Details of the CAF Super League including the official name, will be unveiled at the launch event.

According to cafonline.com, the CAF president announced on Sunday that the executive committee also decided that the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire will be postponed to the months of January and February 2024. It was initially scheduled from 23 June to 23 July 2023. Dr Motsepe said the postponement was as a direct and sole result of the adverse weather conditions in the country and after also having received further technical opinion from experts on adverse effects of staging the matches in that period. The national team, Sihlangu is currently involved in the qualifiers of the AFCON in group B where they face Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Togo. The CAF president, on the other hand, shared that going forward the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final will now be played over two legs. EFA Communications and Marketing Officer Muzi Radebe said nothing had reached his office concerning the money.

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