The maiden edition of the African Football League gets to the semifinal stage this weekend, as Ahly of Egypt face Mamelodi Sundown of South Africa while Tunisia’s Espérance Sportive de Tunis will face Wydad Athletic Club of Casablanca, Morocco.
The four clubs are $700,000 richer apart from the $1million each accrued for featuring in the quarterfinals of the competition. The African Football League got off to a spectacular start with a four-goal thriller in the tournament opener in Tanzania between Al Ahly and hosts Simba SC – and it has got better and better since.
Ahly got the better of Simba over two legs, Esperance beat DR Congo’s TP Mazembe, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns were too strong for Angola’s Atlético Petróleos de Luanda and Moroccan giants, Wydad AC, were just too strong for Nigeria’s Enyimba as they booked the last spot in the semifinals.
North African giants Wydad and Esperance face each other in a titanic semifinal battle this weekend. The two will take to the field in a first of two legs on Sunday, October 29, 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.
In the other semifinal clash, Mamelodi Sundowns 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 tomorrow, while the return fixture will take place at the Cairo International Stadium on November 1.
The winners of the African Football League will receive prize money of $4million. The runner-up will get $3million. The two semi-finalists will each get $1.7 million, while the quarterfinalists will get $1million.
