2023 African Football League

2023 African Football LeagueTournament details

Dates| 20 October – 12 November 2023
Teams| 8 (from 8 associations)
Final positions
Champions|  Mamelodi Sundowns (1st title)
Runners-up|  Wydad AC
Tournament statistics
Matches played| 14
Goals scored| 24 (1.71 per match)
Attendance| 547,000 (39,071 per match)
Top scorer(s)|  Thapelo Maseko
Mahmoud Kahraba
Sadio Kanouté
(2 goals each)
Best player(s)|  Thapelo Maseko
Best goalkeeper|  Ronwen Williams

2024–25 ->

International football competition

The 2023 African Football League was the first edition of Africa's newest club football tournament, the African Football League, organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

This season was meant to be a precursor tournament to the full fledged version, which will start in the 2024–25 season, after being delayed a year.

## Background

[edit]

The competition, initially announced in 2022 as the Africa Super League, was to involve 24 teams divided into three geographical regions and have a promotion-relegation system. The competition was delayed from August to October 2023, renamed to the African Football League, and revised into an eight-team knockout format for its inaugural season. This season is meant to be a precursor, as the originally announced format will be introduced starting in 2024–25.

## Schedule

[edit]

The schedule was as follows.[1]

Round  | Draw date  | First leg  | Second leg

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Quarter-finals  | 2 September 2023  | 20–22 October 2023  | 24–25 October 2023
Semi-finals  | 29 October 2023  | 1 November 2023
Final  | 5 November 2023  | 12 November 2023

## Format

[edit]

Each tie was played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that scored more goals on aggregate over the two legs advanced to the next round. If the aggregate score was level, the away goals rule was applied, i.e. the team that scored more goals away from home over the two legs advanced. If away goals were also equal, then extra time was not played and the winners were decided by a penalty shoot-out.

## Teams

[edit]

The African Football League involved 8 teams chosen by the CAF[how?] to enter the tournament.

Petro de Luanda

TP Mazembe

Al Ahly

Enyimba

Wydad AC

Mamelodi Sundowns

Simba

Espérance de Tunis

class=notpageimage|

Location of teams of the 2023 African Football League

Pot 2  | Pot 1

|

* Petro de Luanda
* TP Mazembe
* Enyimba
* Simba

* Al Ahly
* Wydad AC
* Mamelodi Sundowns
* Espérance de Tunis

## Bracket

[edit]

The bracket was decided after the draw for the knockout stage (quarter-finals, semi-finals and final), which was held on 2 September 2023, 16:00 GMT (19:00 local time, UTC+3), at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.[1]

| Quarter-finals | | | Semi-finals | | | Final |

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|  |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |  |
|  Enyimba | 0 | 0 | 0 | | |
|  Wydad AC | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| |  Wydad AC (p) | 1 | 0 | 1 (5) |
|  |
| | |  Espérance de Tunis | 0 | 1 | 1 (4) |
|  TP Mazembe | 1 | 0 | 1 |

|  Espérance de Tunis | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| |  Wydad AC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
|  |
| | |  Mamelodi Sundowns | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|  Petro de Luanda | 0 | 0 | 0 | |

|  Mamelodi Sundowns | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| |  Mamelodi Sundowns | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|  |
| | |  Al Ahly | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|  Simba | 2 | 1 | 3 |

|  Al Ahly (a) | 2 | 1 | 3 |

## Quarter-finals

[edit]

The first legs were played on 20, 21 and 22 October, and the second legs were played on 24 and 26 October 2023.[1]

Team 1  | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2  | 1st leg  | 2nd leg

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Simba | 3–3 (a)  |  Al Ahly | 2–2 | 1–1
TP Mazembe | 1–3  |  Espérance de Tunis | 1–0 | 0–3
Enyimba | 0–4  |  Wydad AC | 0–1 | 0–3
Petro de Luanda | 0–2  |  Mamelodi Sundowns | 0–2 | 0–0

20 October 2023 (2023-10-20)

18:00 UTC+3

Simba | 2–2|  Al Ahly

|
|

* Denis 53'
* Kanouté 59'

| Report |

* Slim 45+1'
* Kahraba 63'

Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam

Attendance: 60,000

Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania)

24 October 2023 (2023-10-24)

17:00 UTC+3

Al Ahly | 1–1|  Simba

|
|

* Kahraba 76'

| Report |

* Kanouté 68'

Cairo International Stadium, Cairo

Attendance: 30,000

Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)

3–3 on aggregate. Al Ahly won on away goals.

* * *

22 October 2023 (2023-10-22)

18:00 UTC+3

TP Mazembe | 1–0|  Espérance de Tunis

|
|

* Fofana 11'

| Report |

Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)

Attendance: 40,000

Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)

26 October 2023 (2023-10-26)

16:00 UTC+1

Espérance de Tunis | 3–0|  TP Mazembe

|
|

* Ouahabi 45'
* Bouguerra 76'
* Tougai 86'

| Report |

Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis

Attendance: 40,000

Referee: Abongile Tom (South Africa)

Espérance de Tunis won 3–1 on aggregate.

* * *

22 October 2023 (2023-10-22)

19:00 UTC+1

Enyimba | 0–1|  Wydad AC

|
|

| Report |

* Jabrane 39' (pen.)

Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo

Attendance: 5,000

Referee: Alhadi Allaou Mahamat (Chad)

26 October 2023 (2023-10-26)

19:00 UTC+1

Wydad AC | 3–0|  Enyimba

|
|

* El Amloud 4'
* Harkass 38'
* Attiyat Allah 43'

| Report |

Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca

Attendance: 45,000

Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon)

Wydad AC won 4–0 on aggregate.

* * *

21 October 2023 (2023-10-21)

16:30 UTC+1

Petro de Luanda | 0–2|  Mamelodi Sundowns

|
|

| Report |

* Allende 67'
* Maseko 80'

Estádio 11 de Novembro, Luanda

Attendance: 42,000

Referee: Ibrahim Mutaz (Libya)

24 October 2023 (2023-10-24)

19:00 UTC+2

Mamelodi Sundowns | 0–0|  Petro de Luanda

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|

| Report |

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria

Attendance: 25,000

Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)

Mamelodi Sundowns won 2–0 on aggregate.

## Semi-finals

[edit]

The first legs were played on 29 October, and the second legs were played on 1 November 2023.[1]

Team 1  | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2  | 1st leg  | 2nd leg

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|
|

Mamelodi Sundowns | 1–0  |  Al Ahly | 1–0 | 0–0
Wydad AC | 1–1 (5–4 p) |  Espérance de Tunis | 1–0 | 0–1

29 October 2023 (2023-10-29)

15:00 UTC+2

Mamelodi Sundowns | 1–0|  Al Ahly

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* Maseko 52'

| Report |

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria

Attendance: 30,000

Referee: Djindo Louis Houngnandande (Benin)

1 November 2023 (2023-11-01)

20:00 UTC+2

Al Ahly | 0–0|  Mamelodi Sundowns

|
|

| Report |

Cairo International Stadium, Cairo

Attendance: 50,000

Referee: Issa Sy (Senegal)

Mamelodi Sundowns won 1–0 on aggregate.

* * *

29 October 2023 (2023-10-29)

19:00 UTC+1

Wydad AC | 1–0|  Espérance de Tunis

|
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* Boussefiane 58'

| Report |

Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca

Attendance: 45,000

Referee: Amin Omar (Egypt)

1 November 2023 (2023-11-01)

16:00 UTC+1

Espérance de Tunis | 1–0|  Wydad AC

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* Rodrigues 66'

| Report |
Penalties

* Meriah
* Rodrigues
* Derbali
* Bouchniba
* Tougai

| 4–5 |

* Jabrane
* El Amloud
* Aboulfath
* Ounajem
* Sambou

Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis

Attendance: 40,000

Referee: Peter Waweru (Kenya)

1–1 on aggregate. Wydad AC won 5–4 on penalties.

## Final

[edit]

Main article: 2023 African Football League final

The first leg was played on 5 November, and the second leg was played on 12 November 2023.[1]

Team 1  | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2  | 1st leg  | 2nd leg

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Wydad AC | 2–3  |  Mamelodi Sundowns | 2–1 | 0–2

5 November 2023 (2023-11-05)

19:00 UTC+1

Wydad AC | 2–1|  Mamelodi Sundowns

|
|

* Coetzee 41' (o.g.)
* Serrhat 78'

| Report |

* Boutouil 74' (pen.)

Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca

Attendance: 45,000

Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)

12 November 2023 (2023-11-12)

15:00 UTC+2

Mamelodi Sundowns | 2–0|  Wydad AC

|
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* Shalulile 45+3'
* Modiba 53'

| Report |

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria

Attendance: 50,000

Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)

Mamelodi Sundowns won 3–2 on aggregate.

## Top goalscorers

[edit]

Team eliminated / inactive for the round.

Rank  | Player  | Team  | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 | F1 | F2 | Total

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1  |  Thapelo Maseko |  Mamelodi Sundowns | 1 |  | 1 |  |  |  | 2
Mahmoud Kahraba |  Al Ahly | 1 | 1 |  |  |
Sadio Kanouté |  Simba | 1 | 1 |
4  |  Yahia Attiyat Allah |  Wydad AC |  | 1 |  |  |  |  | 1
Hicham Boussefiane |  Wydad AC |  |  | 1 |  |  |
Ayoub El Amloud |  Wydad AC |  | 1 |  |  |  |
Jamal Harkass |  Wydad AC |  | 1 |  |  |  |
Yahya Jabrane |  Wydad AC | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Anas Serrhat |  Wydad AC |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Marcelo Allende |  Mamelodi Sundowns | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Abdelmounaim Boutouil |  Mamelodi Sundowns |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Peter Shalulile |  Mamelodi Sundowns |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Aubrey Modiba |  Mamelodi Sundowns |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Reda Slim |  Al Ahly | 1 |  |  |  |
Mohamed Amine Tougai |  Espérance de Tunis |  | 1 |  |  |
Rodrigo Rodrigues |  Espérance de Tunis |  |  |  | 1 |
Oussama Bouguerra |  Espérance de Tunis |  | 1 |  |  |
Ghaith Ouahabi |  Espérance de Tunis |  | 1 |  |  |
Cheick Oumar Abdallah Fofana |  TP Mazembe | 1 |  |
Kibu Denis |  Simba | 1 |  |

## See also

[edit]

* 2023–24 CAF Champions League
* 2023–24 CAF Confederation Cup
* 2023 CAF Women's Champions League

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "The inaugural African Football League (AFL) kicks off in October 2023 and will be preceded by official draw on Saturday 2 September 2023". Confederation of African Football. 29 August 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* CAFonline.com
* African Football League – AFL

* v
* t
* e

African Football League

Records and statistics

Editions|

* 2023
* 2024–25

Finals|

* 2023

* v
* t
* e

2023–24 in African football (CAF)

« 2022–23

2024–25 »

Domestic leagues|

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International competitions|

* 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

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