CAF has officially announced that Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies and the University of the Western Cape Ladies FC are guaranteed $150 000 (R2.6 million) each for their participation in the upcoming CAF Women's Champions League.
The Women's Champions League is set to get underway this Saturday, 9 November, with the tournament scheduled to run until Saturday, 23 November, in Morocco.
The competition, which was inaugurated in 2021, comprises eight African women's clubs, namely: Sundowns, UWC, TP Mazembe, FAR Rabat, Aigles de la Medina, Massar, Edo Queens, and CBE FC.
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With just a few days before the fourth edition of the showpiece gets underway, CAF have formally announced a massive 52% increase in the total prize money, which includes $150,000 for each participant.
It has been confirmed that the winner will walk away with $600,000, while the runners-up will collect $400,000.
The third and fourth-placed teams will earn $350,000 (R6 million) and $300,000 (R5.2 million), respectively.
Lastly, the teams that finish third in their group will be awarded $200,000 (R3.4 million) each.
"CAF is committed to developing and growing women's football in Africa, and the objective of President Motsepe is to invest in youth academies for boys and girls and to continue increasing the prize monies of all CAF competitions to make them globally competitive and attractive," the organisation said in a statement on CAFOnline.com.
It will be UWC Ladies' debut appearance in the tournament after they qualified by finishing second in the 2023/24 Hollywoodbets Super League behind champions Sundowns Ladies.
Downs, meanwhile, qualified for the tournament as reigning champions, thus allowing UWC a spot in the Women's Champions League as COSAFA representatives.
The Masandawana Ladies are the most successful side in the CAF WCL, having won two of the three editions of the tournament in 2021 and 2023.
The two South African teams have been drawn in different groups, with Sundowns set to open their campaign against Massar on Sunday, while UWC starts their journey with a clash against TP Mazembe the day before.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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