Four of Africa’s most celebrated and decorated clubs will battle this weekend in the maiden edition of the African Football League semi-finals.
Two North African giants Wydad and Esperance face each other this Sunday, October 29, in a titanic semifinal battle in the first of two legs at the State Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca, Morocco. The return fixture will be played at the Stade Olympique de Radès in Tunis on November 1.
Also, in the other semifinal clash, Mamelodi Sundowns will renew what has become one of African football’s biggest rivalries against Egyptian giants Al Ahly. The first leg will be played at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium today (Sunday), while the return fixture will take place at the Cairo International Stadium on November 1.
Reigning 11-time African champions Al Ahly of Egypt, Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club, Tunisia’s Espérance de Tunis and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns all confirmed their place in the last four of the competition last week, in which the champions take home a record $4 million winners prize.
Ahly progressed to the semi-finals against Simba SC of Tanzania after winning the two legs by the away goals rule following a 3-3 aggregate score. Esperance beat DR Congo’s TP Mazembe (3-1 win on aggregate), South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns were too strong for Angola’s Atlético Petróleos de Luanda (2-0 on aggregate), while Moroccan giants Wydad AC defeated Nigeria’s Enyimba FC 4-0 on aggregate as they booked the last spot in the semifinals.
The winners of the African Football League, created by FIFA with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will receive prize money of $4 Million. The runner-up will get $3 Million.
While the two semi-finalists will each get $1.7 Million, the quarter-finalists will get $1 Million each.
