Julius Okorie
Reigning Nigeria Premier league Champions, Rangers, are to pocket $50,000, about (N79.25million) as participation fee in this year’s CAF Champions League.
The flying Antelopes are not the only ones to enjoy the largesse as league runners up Remo Stars will equally get the same dollar rain alongside Enyimba and El-Kanemi Warriors.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelRangers and Remo Stars are competing in the CAF Champions League ,while Enyimba who finished third on the league table and El-Kameni Warriors who won the Federation Cup will be competing in the Confederation Cup.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the largesse on its website on Friday, adding that the action is to improve the continental competition which has become the hallmark for judging the quality and strength of leagues in the continent
“In line with the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe’s promise to improve club competitions and provide more financial assistance to clubs, the clubs participating in the preliminary stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will receive USD 50,000 each,” the continental football body stated on its website.
The preliminary rounds of matches began on Friday, and the prize money will increase significantly after each stage. The four Nigerian clubs could get as much as $400,000 and $700,000 if they make it to the group stages in each competition.
This is the first time CAF offers financial assistance to Clubs at this stage of the Competition.
Previously, Clubs needed to reach the Group Stages to be eligible to share the overall prize money. This change is expected to ginger more clubs to participate in continental competitions and raise the overall standard of club football in Africa.
READ ALSO: Rangers, Remo Stars Get CAF C/League Prelim Opponents
The winner of the CAF Champions League will get $4million while the winner of the Confederation Cup will get $2million
Nine-time NPFL champions and two-time Champions league winners Enyimba, who are also in the second tier of the CAF inter-club competition, are drawn bye in this round.
El-Kanemi Warriors will get the first taste of action among the Nigerian clubs as they face Dadje FC of Benin Republic in their first-leg encounter at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne, on Saturday (today), while Enugu Rangers face US Zilimadjou of Comoros in the first leg of their preliminary round of the Champions League at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium Uyo, on Sunday, just as Remo Stars will host AS FAR Rabat of Morocco.
Interestingly Rangers would appear to have an advantage in Sunday’s clash as Zilimadjou have chosen to adopt the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, as their home ground.
Here is a breakdown of prize money for the various Stages:
CAF Champions League:
Position | Prize Money
Winner | USD 4,000,000
Runner-up | USD 2,000,000
Semi-Finalists | USD 1,200,000
Quarterfinalists | USD 900,000
3rd of Group | USD 700,000
4th of Group | USD 700,000
CAF Confederation Cup:
Position | Prize Money
Winner | USD 2,000,000
Runner-up | USD 1,000,000
Semi-finalists | USD 750,000
Quarterfinalists | USD 550,000
3rd of Group | USD 400,000
4th of Group | USD 400,000
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
