Editors PickNational Sports

Super League rated 12th in Africa

The TNM Super League has been ranked 12th out of 54 Confederation of African Football (CAF) leagues rated on comparative annual sponsorship figures, SuperSport Africa Soccer show announced on Thursday.

SuperSport 4 host Sizwe Mabena reportedly disclosed during the programme putting the domestic league—valued at $ 454 000 (K188 million)— ahead of leagues of Mali (13th), Swaziland (14th) and Zambia (15). TNM’s five-year sponsorship to the Super League is pegged at K65 million per season.

Williams Banda
Williams Banda

The Supersport rankings, based on just one variable, could spark debate as Zambia and Mali are rated ahead of Malawi on Fifa ranking for September. But Super League of Malawi (Sulom) general secretary Williams Banda is happy.

“This is good news and we eagerly wait for live match coverage in Malawi to improve the ratings,” Banda said yesterday, whereas TNM were yet to respond to The Nation’s questionnaire as we went to press.

Despite being rated below Malawi, Times newspaper of Swaziland reported that Swaziland players’ salaries range from R4 000 (K148 000) to R7 000 (K259 000). Swaziland league champions get R770 000 (K28 million). The Nation used K37=R1 and K415=$1).

Malawi league champions, in addition to K1 million subvention which each of the 15 clubs receive, get K9 million and players’ salaries are as low as K6 000 ($14)per month at some Super League clubs.

The SuperSport ratings placed the South Africa Premier Soccer League (PSL)—home to seven Flames players—as Africa’s number one, thanks to $17 million (K7 billion) Absa Bank sponsorship.

Nigeria league comes second on $4 million (K1.7 billion) sponsorship from Glo followed on third place by Ghana’s First Capital Bank-sponsored league on $2 million (K830 million). Average players salary in Ghana is between $200 (K83 000) and $400 (K166 000) with league champions’ purse pegged at $20 000 (K8 million).

Tanzania’s Vodacom league pegged at $ 2 million (K830 million) occupies fourth place followed by the Morocco Butola league whose sponsorship is valued at $ 1.8 million (K747 million).

Fifa-recognised International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) rating do not include Malawi league due to local clubs, non involvement in CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup in the last decade.

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