The four African qualifiers for the revamped Club World Cup in the United States are set to become much richer, no matter how they fare in the 32-team tournament.
By securing places, Al Ahly of Egypt, Esperance of Tunisia, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco are each guaranteed $9.55 million (EUR8.4 million) appearance fees. The bonanza is the equivalent of Sundowns winning nine league titles in South Africa, the African country with the richest football prize money. A win in the group phase will add $2 million, a draw $1 million, and a top-two finish and qualification for the knockout phase $7.5 million.
Winners of the premier African club competition, the CAF Champions League, receive $4 million for playing 14 or 16 matches. No side will play more than seven matches in the Club World Cup. Here, AFP Sport looks at the African contenders, all of whom have competed in the Club World Cup when it was an annual seven-club affair.
Ahly: Spaniard Jose Riveiro will make his competitive debut as coach of the Cairo Red Devils when they face Lionel Messi-inspired Inter Miami in the tournament opener on June 14. “The best way to contain Messi is to stop the ball reaching him, but we also have a plan for him when he does receive possession,” said Riveiro.
He left Orlando Pirates in South Africa in May after a three-season stint in which he won five domestic knockout trophies and reached the 2025 Champions League semi-finals. Ahly have been busy in the transfer market, signing former Aston Villa striker Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan from Turkish outfit Trabzonspor and winger Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed from arch Cairo rivals Zamalek.
Esperance: The Blood and Gold from Tunis will be coached by one of their former stars, Maher Kanzari, after Romanian Laurentiu Reghecampf was axed in mid season having been in charge for only four months.
Kanzari delivered a domestic league and cup double, but they made a timid exit from the Champions League in the quarter-finals. Esperance boast a star striker in Algerian Youcef Belaili, whose seven goals placed him second in the Champions League Golden Boot race.