Scheduled to kick off on Friday, October 20, 2023, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the AFL’s opening match will showcase Simba SC from Tanzania facing off against Al Ahly SC from Egypt.

The Prize Money for the AFL is as follows:
$4 000 000 (R75 Million) for the Winner
$3 000 000 (R56 Million) for the Runner-up
$1 700 000 (R32 Million) for each of the Semi-finalists
$1 000 000 (R18.9 Million) for each of the Quarter-finalists

The prize money at stake is remarkably attractive and competitive, with the winners needing just six matches to claim the substantial prize pool of $4,000,000.

Among the notable and top-ranking football clubs participating in this inaugural AFL edition are Enyimba FC (Nigeria), Wydad AC (Morocco), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia) and Atletico Petroleos de Luanda (Angola).

The AFL represents a collaborative effort between CAF and FIFA. One of its primary objectives is to elevate the quality of African club football to a global competitive level and ensure the commercial viability of African football clubs.

Additionally, the AFL aims to foster the development and nurturing of youth football talent across the African continent.
CAF’s overarching goal is to ensure that all 54 CAF Member Associations, including those without representation in the AFL, benefit and receive financial support from the commercial success and viability of this prestigious tournament

In the first leg, the Red Devils displayed their prowess with a 3-0 triumph away from home, fuelled by goals from Hussein El-Shahat and Ahmed Abdelkader.

In the return leg, Al Ahly continued their dominant form. Mohamed Magdy Afsha set the tone within the first ten minutes with a remarkable free-kick goal, granting his team an early advantage.

Shortly thereafter, Mahmoud Kahraba doubled their lead from the penalty spot after half an hour. Afsha struck again, this time at the far post, netting his second and Al Ahly’s third of the evening just five minutes later.

With a comfortable lead, Al Ahly maintained their offensive pressure and secured their fourth goal through a well-executed play.

Mohamed Hany initiated a dynamic run down the right flank and delivered a sublime cross, which Mahmoud Kahraba met with a powerful header, eluding Saint George’s Bahiru Negash.

These convincing victories over two legs earned Al Ahly a spot in the CAF Champions League group stages, scheduled to kick off at the end of November.

Sundowns will host the Burundian side in the Caf Champions League, preliminary round, second leg.

The 2016 Caf Champions League winners head into this encounter with a commanding 4-0 lead; Lucas Ribeiro was the catalyst, opening the scoring as early as the 12th minute and later securing a brace in the second half.

Lesiba Nku and Peter Shalulile also joined the scoring fray to expand the lead. Despite their advantageous position, Coetzee, anticipates a challenging second leg match.

“This is the Champions League, there is never an easy game even though we are 4-0 up after the first leg,” said Coetzee.

“We continue to prepare for every game the same because it’s the culture of the club and we want to win every match, so we will go into this match with the same mentality.

“It’s a whole new game so I think Bumamuru FC will come out maybe a little bit more aggressive than they did in the first leg because they know what they have to overcome if they want to go through.

“We also know what we need to do because it’s our duty to the club and ourselves to put us in the group stages,” the player adds.

Last year, Wydad Casablanca eliminated Sundowns with an aggregate score of 2-2. Coetzee reflected on their semi-final clash and expressed their team’s strong determination to prevent a recurrence of that outcome.

“We all felt the pain of what happened last season, we were so close. It’s not like we lost a game, that’s why we went out of the Champions League, we went out based on the away goal rule. That will be a learning curve for us this season.”

“This year we are preparing to go into the first leg to win and try to kill the game off as we have done now in this preliminary round. We also know that this is the Champions League, it’s never over until the final whistle.

“Even with a 4-0 scoreline, we are still preparing for the second leg the same way we prepare for any other game,” Rivaldo concluded.

The second leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round against Bumamuru FC will take place at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday evening.

After conceding an initial 1-0 deficit during their trip to Gaborone, the Soweto Giants were determined to secure advancement to the competition’s group stage.

The Buccaneers pressed forward, with Paseka Mako’s shot on target the first real test for Jwaneng Galaxy’s Goitseone Phoko, though it was comfortably handled.

Zakhele Lepasa had a promising chance when he headed Patrick Maswanganyi’s cross towards goal, but it went straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.

Midfielder Thabang Monare tried his luck from outside the box, but Phoko denied him as well. The first half saw Orlando Pirates’ defenders, Tapelo Xoki and Nkosinathi Sibisi, even joining the attack, but they couldn’t find the back of the net.

Maswanganyi’s late effort from a tight angle also met Phoko’s resistance. The second half began much like the first, with the Buccaneers unable to break through Jwaneng’s defense.

It took until after the hour mark for a breakthrough when substitute Evidence Makgopa’s deflected shot found the net.

Jwaneng had a rare chance in the 72nd minute through Wendell Rudath, but his shot missed the target. Despite Pirates’ efforts to regain control, they couldn’t find the elusive second goal.

Their closest opportunity came 23 minutes from the final whistle when Kermit Erasmus struck the woodwork with a powerful shot. Makgopa and Hotto attempted to secure the victory, but neither could find the target.

The match eventually ended in a penalty shootout. Hotto and Rubath made their spot-kicks, leveling it at 1-1. Sibisi and Xoki followed with successful penalties, while Sesinyi and Masuku ensured the visitors were still level after three penalties each.

Pirates’ teenage midfielder missed the fourth penalty, and although Maswanganyi converted his, it wasn’t enough to pull the Soweto Giants back into the contest. The visitors had a perfect conversion rate and secured their spot among the final 16 teams in the competition.

The crucial second leg of the second preliminary round will be played at Orlando Stadium.
The Buccaneers head into this fixture at a slight disadvantage after suffering a 1-0 defeat in the away leg.

In the past week, Orlando Pirates have been in action twice domestically, narrowly losing both matches against Mamelodi Sundowns and Stellenbosch respectively.

On the other side of the pitch, Jwaneng Galaxy is likely to be more well-rested, having enjoyed a 12-day break between fixtures.

Their Botswana Premier League title defence begins in October, and despite the disruption caused by the Caf Champions League preliminary rounds, they have shown no signs of rustiness, having advanced to this stage by doing enough in their home leg against Uganda’s Vipers, despite a defeat in the second leg.

Both teams are expected to make changes to their lineups for this upcoming clash. Jwaneng Galaxy may see the return of midfielder Dynamo Fredericks, who was sidelined in the first leg.

Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates might include veteran midfielder Thabang Monare, defender Nkosinathi Sibisi, and striker Evidence Makgopa, who could make his Champions League debut.

In the visitors’ camp, a strong defensive effort will be crucial, with goalkeeper Ryan Brown playing a pivotal role as the last line of defence. Brown showcased his skills in the first leg by making vital saves to keep the Buccaneers at bay.

The offensive threat from right winger Daniel Msendami, who scored in the first leg, is expected to continue alongside Omaatla Kebatho and Thabang Sesinyi.

Kitso Mangolo’s energetic presence on the flank will further bolster Jwaneng’s attacking efforts.
Jwaneng Galaxy’s victory in the first leg was their first-ever win against Orlando Pirates in three attempts.

A similar result on Friday would not only propel them to the next round but also level the head-to-head results between the two teams.

In a previous encounter in the CAF Confederation Cup, Orlando Pirates emerged victorious over two legs, securing a 3-0 win in the away leg before closing out the tie with a 1-0 victory at the Orlando Stadium.

He brings a wealth of coaching experience and qualifications to this position. Johnson started his coaching career as a junior coach at the Transnet School of Excellence. During this time, he worked with Dillon Sheppard, who is now the assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs.

The former Al Ahly assistant coach holds a UEFA professional coaching license, demonstrating his expertise in coaching and a strong foundation in European football.

He has also obtained coaching licenses from organizations like CAF (Confederation of African Football), the Dutch Football Association, and the Brazilian CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation).

From 2008 to 2012, Johnson served as the Director of the Royal Bafokeng Sports Academy. During this period, he played a role in developing the Platinum Stars academy, contributing to the growth of youth football talent in the region.

He has had coaching stints with several South African clubs, including Platinum Stars, SuperSport United, AmaZulu, and Black Leopards, which highlights his experience at various levels of the game.

Perhaps one of the most significant experiences in Johnson’s coaching career was his time as an assistant to Pitso Mosimane at Egyptian club Al Ahly.

During his tenure there, the team achieved success by winning the CAF Champions League in both 2020 and 2021, giving him a deep understanding of the expectations and demands of a prominent club.

“We are delighted to bring coach Cavin on board,” said Chiefs sporting director, Kaizer Motaung Jr.

“He brings a wealth of knowledge that will continue to build our academy programs and scouting network in order to take the club forward with the aim of imprinting the Kaizer Chiefs philosophy throughout every level of the club.

“We believe Coach Cavin possesses all the attributes to steer us in the direction we want to go, which is to continue to create an elite development model that will lead us to sustainable success into the future.”

Johnson said he is excited about the opportunity to coach Amakhosi. “I am happy to join Kaizer Chiefs as Head of Youth and the scouting department.

“For me, joining Amakhosi means joining an institution. I am also happy to bring along all my experience that I have gained over the past 20-25 years of working with youth,” he says.

“Hopefully, in my time at Kaizer Chiefs, we will be able to unearth and develop the next Doctor Khumalos, Ace Khuses, Jabu Pules, Tinashe Nengomashas.

The Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper recently played a key role in her team’s qualification for the CAF Women’s Champions League and their victory in the regional COSAFA title without a single loss.

At 31 years old, Dlamini is considered to be at the peak of her career and is looking forward to adding more accolades to her already impressive list of achievements at the CAF Women’s Champions League in Cote d’Ivoire in 2023.

“I really think the standard of women’s football goalkeeping is improving in Africa. We just need more young female goalkeepers to follow in our foot-steps so that our department can be even more solid” the shot-stopper told Cafonline.com from USA where she is preparing to face the former FIFA Women’s World Cup champions in an international friendly match on September 21.

The Banyana Banyana goalkeeper also spoke about the upcoming CAF Women’s Champions League.

“It means the world to us as a team. We have another opportunity to go fight for the trophy, we look forward to the journey in Cote d’ivoire.

“We play each and every game with hopes of wanting to win it. We played the CAF qualifiers hoping to win it and we did.

“We take one game at a time and while we do so, we focus on the present. We will focus on CAF when we channel there for now, it is about getting the mindset right, converting the chances we get and keeping a clean sheet.” said Dlamini.

Both teams had opportunities early in the game, with Thabang Sesinyi and Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo having chances within the first two minutes.

The hosts came close to scoring nine minutes into the game when Omaatla Kebatho narrowly missed a chance after a cross from Daniel Msendami.

Jwaneng Galaxy managed to break the deadlock 21 minutes into the game as Kitso Mangolo set up Daniel Msendami with a great pass, and Msendami scored with a single touch.

Orlando Pirates tried to equalize and had chances through Souaibou Marou and Innocent Maela, but they couldn’t find the target.

Opportunities were limited in the second half as Jwaneng Galaxy focused on defending their lead.
Jwaneng Galaxy found the back of the net again on the hour mark through Kitso Mangolo, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Orlando Pirates continued to press for an equalizer, with Lesedi Kapinga and Kabelo Dlamini having attempts on goal.

Despite their efforts, Orlando Pirates couldn’t find the equalizer, and the match ended in a 1-0 defeat for them.

The result means that Orlando Pirates face an uphill battle in the second leg of the tie at Orlando Stadium, as they will need to overcome the deficit to advance to the group stage of the CAF Champions League.

Huracanes FC from Equatorial Guinea secured their ticket to the finals by winning the UNIFFAC Qualifier. This marks their first appearance in the CAF Women’s Champions League Finals.

Athletico Abidjan, as the tournament hosts, will be eager to make their nation proud in their first attempt at continental glory. This is an exciting time for Cote d’Ivoire as they prepare to host the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2023.

Both ASFAR and Mamelodi Sundowns are making their third appearance in the tournament, having qualified for each edition since the competition’s inception in 2021.

Out of the eight confirmed clubs in the finals, only ASFAR, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Mali’s AS Mande have previously qualified for the finals. This indicates the growing competitiveness and development of women’s football in Africa.

The 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League Finals will undoubtedly showcase the talent and progress of women’s football across the continent, and fans can look forward to an exciting competition.

Zinedine Belaid, the captain of USM Alger, scored the only goal of the match with a penalty in the first half. The penalty was awarded after a VAR consultation for a handball in the box.

Despite dominating possession and creating more chances, Al Ahly was unable to find the back of the net, thanks in part to the inspired performance of USM Alger’s goalkeeper, Oussama Benbot.

Al Ahly thought they had equalized early in the match, but the goal was ruled out for offside. In the second half, Al Ahly continued to press for an equalizer, with players like Tau and Ali Maaloul forcing saves from the Algerian goalkeeper.

USM Alger defended heroically throughout the match, holding onto their slim lead despite intense pressure from Al Ahly.

This win for USM Alger avenges their defeat to Al Ahly in the same final two years ago. For Al Ahly, this loss ended their hopes of achieving a sweep of trophies for the season, having already claimed the Egyptian league and CAF Champions League.

USM Alger’s victory in this historic match was a significant achievement for the club and demonstrated their progress under coach Abdelhak Benchikha.