Reigning Nigeria Professional Football League champion, Enyimba face a daunting task winning the inaugural African Football League competition after being drawn against Wydad Casablanca in the quarter-final of the competition, SUNDAY PUNCH reports.
The draw for the African Football League took place in Cairo on Saturday, will hold between October 20 and November 11 2023. Enyimba will the winner of the quarter-final clash between TP Mazembe and Esperance.
The draw also paired Mamelodi Sundowns with Petro de Luanda in the quarter-finals and they will face the winner between Simba SC and Al Ahly in a potential semi-final clash.
Participation in the African Football League comes with a substantial N529m fee for the qualified clubs, underlining the significance and prestige of this new competition.
The nine-time NPFL champions will play their home games at the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo.
Each tie will be played over two legs with the final scheduled for November 5 and 11 in a competition offering a $10m prize money.
The competition was called the Africa Super League when launched in Tanzania last year, but CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the name was changed after advice from undisclosed Europeans.
“Our friends in Europe advised us not to use the expression ‘super league’,” Motsepe said.
“This advice was based on negative associations with the failed attempt in 2021 to launch a super league in Europe.”
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