NO Nigerian club will benefit as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) significantly increased the prize money for the Champions League and Confederation Cup.
All four of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) clubs in the continental competitions have been eliminated, with both competitions now in the quarter-final stage.
Only Rivers United reached the group stages of the CAF Champions League, where they finished bottom of their group, while Remo Stars, Abia Warriors and Kwara United were knocked out in the preliminaries.
“The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe has announced a $2 million increase in the prize money for the winner of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and a further $2 million increase for the winner of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup,” CAF stated yesterday.
“The winner of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2025/26 will receive $6 Million, a 50% increase, while the victor in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will receive $4 Million, a 100% increase.
“In the five years of Dr Patrice Motsepe’s leadership of CAF, the prize money for the winner of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League has increased from $2.5 million to $6 million, a 140% (percentage) increase.
“In the same period, the Prize Money for the winner of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup has increased from USD 1.250 million to USD 4 million, a 220% (percentage) increase.
“The latest increases take the overall prize money and solidarity payments to African Clubs to over $42 million per season, an increase of 114% (percentage) since Dr Motsepe was elected CAF President.
“Comparatively, in 2021, CAF allocated $18.8 Million in total cash for clubs in prize money.”
In August 2024, and in line with his promise to improve club competitions and provide greater financial assistance to clubs, Dr Motsepe announced that the eliminated teams participating in the preliminary stages of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup would receive $50,000 each.
A year later in 2025, CAF announced a significant increase in this financial support to $100,000.
The two-legged final of the 2025/2026 CAF Champions League will be played on May 15 and May 24, while CAF Confederation Cup final is scheduled for between May 9 and May 16.
