The Africa Club Association: What It Is and Why It Matters

By Antony Wenani

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Africa is a continent with a rich and diverse football culture, but its clubs have often struggled to compete at the global level. The lack of resources, infrastructure, and exposure has hampered the development and growth of African club football, which has been overshadowed by the success of the national teams.

However, a new initiative aims to change that. The Africa Club Association (ACA) is a proposed elite club competition that will feature the best teams from across the continent, and offer them a chance to showcase their talent, earn more revenue, and challenge for the FIFA Club World Cup.

The ACA is the brainchild of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the governing body of football in Africa, and FIFA, the world football governing body. The two organizations have been working together to improve the quality and attractiveness of African club football, and to create more opportunities for the clubs and their fans.

The ACA is expected to launch in 2024, and will replace the existing CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, the two continental club tournaments that have been running since 1964 and 2004, respectively. The ACA will have a similar format to the UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious club competition in the world, with a group stage followed by a knockout stage.

The ACA will have 20 teams in the group stage, divided into four groups of five teams each. The teams will be selected based on their performance in their domestic leagues and cups, as well as their CAF 5-year ranking, a system that measures the results of each association in the CAF club competitions. The CAF 5-year ranking determines the number of clubs that each member association may enter in the ACA, with the top 12 associations getting two slots each, and the remaining associations getting one slot each.

The group stage will be played from September to December, with each team playing eight matches, four at home and four away. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, which will be played from February to May. The knockout stage will consist of the round of 16, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, and the final. The matches will be played over two legs, except for the final, which will be a single match at a neutral venue.

The ACA will offer a lucrative prize money for the participating clubs, as well as a share of the broadcasting and sponsorship rights. The total prize money for the ACA is estimated to be around $200 million, which is more than 10 times the amount of the current CAF Champions League. The winner of the ACA will receive $30 million, while the runner-up will get $15 million. The other teams will also get a minimum of $2.5 million each for reaching the group stage.

The ACA will also provide a direct qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup, the annual tournament that pits the champions of each continental confederation against each other. The winner of the ACA will join the champions of Europe, South America, Asia, North America, and Oceania, as well as the host country's champion, in the FIFA Club World Cup, which will be expanded to 24 teams from 2025.

The ACA is a bold and ambitious project that aims to elevate the status and profile of African club football, and to create a more competitive and attractive product for the fans and the stakeholders. The ACA will give the African clubs a chance to test themselves against the best in the continent, and to aspire for the ultimate glory of becoming the world champions. The ACA will also generate more revenue and exposure for the clubs, which will help them to invest in their infrastructure, facilities, and players, and to improve their standards and quality.

The ACA is a dream come true for many African football lovers, who have been longing for a more exciting and rewarding club competition. The ACA will bring more passion, drama, and entertainment to the African football scene, and will showcase the talent, diversity, and potential of the continent. The ACA will be a game-changer for African club football, and a milestone for the development and growth of the game in Africa.