Prize money for the African Women’s Champions League has been frozen at last year’s level but the men’s Super Cup has seen a 130% increase, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) revealed on Monday.
The announcement came after Algerian side USM Alger claimed the Super Cup by beating Egypt’s Al Ahly 1-0 in Saudi Arabia on Friday, and as the eight-team line-up for this year’s Women’s Champions League was completed.
It means USM Alger pocket $500,000 (£404,000), up from $200,000 (£161,000).
Meanwhile, the winners of November’s Women’s Champions League will once again earn $400,000 (£323,000).
By comparison, the winners of the men’s Champions League take home $4m (£3.23m).
More Morocco joy or a debutant ball?
Five teams will make their debut at the 2023 Caf Women’s Champions League which will take place in Ivory Coast.
Huracanes from Equatorial Guinea completed the line-up after winning their regional qualifying tournament, eliminating DR Congo’s TP Mazembe and Congo-Brazzaville’s AS Epah-Ngamba.
Huracanes join Ivorian champions Athletico Abidjan, Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa, JKT Queens from Tanzania and Moroccan side Sporting Club Casablanca as the teams appearing for the first time.
Defending champions AS FAR of Morocco return as do the team they beat in last year’s final, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.
Mali’s AS Mande also have previous Champions League experience.
Caf says the number of new teams is, “a clear indication of the growth of the women’s game on the continent”.
The tournament will be staged between 5-19 November.
The total prize money for the event remains at $1.1m (£900,000), as per the second edition in 2022 while the inaugural event did not offer a financial reward.
2023 Caf Women’s Champions League teams:
Ampem Darkoa (Ghana), AS FAR (Morocco), AS Mande (Mali), Athletico Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Huracanes FC (Equatorial Guinea), JKT Queens (Tanzania), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Sporting Club Casablanca (Morocco)
Source: BBC Africa
