AFCON 2023: Tournament winners to take home an eyewatering Sh1.1billion

Senegal's Sadio Mane embraces the Africa Cup of Nations title after their triumph in Cameroon | Imago

AFCON 2023: Tournament winners to take home an eyewatering Sh1.1billion

Festus Chuma 07:30 - 05.01.2024

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations sees a significant increase in prize money, enhancing its prestige and supporting football development.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has taken a bold step forward by increasing the prize money for teams participating at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

The winner of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Côte d'Ivoire 2023 is set to receive an unprecedented USD 7,000,000 (Ksh1.1 billion), marking a 40% hike from the previous edition's winnings.

This increase reflects not only the growing prestige of the tournament but also CAF's dedication to elevating the sport's profile on the continent.

Dr. Patrice Motsepe, President of CAF, highlighted the strides the organization has made.

“CAF has made significant progress over the past two years in increasing the Prize Money of the AFCON and all its other major competitions," he said.

The South African football administrator further emphasized the impact of this increase, stating, “We have raised the AFCON Winner's Prize Money to USD 7,000,000, a 40% increase from the previous AFCON Prize Money.”

The runner-up of the tournament will not walk away empty-handed, with a substantial prize of USD 4,000,000 (Ksh 631 million), while each of the two semi-finalists will be rewarded with USD 2,500,000 (Ksh 394 million).

Additionally, each of the four quarter-finalists will receive a significant sum of USD 1,300,000 (Ksh 205 million), ensuring that the efforts of the teams are well-compensated.

Dr. Motsepe expressed confidence that the increased prize money would not only foster football development but also benefit various stakeholders.

“I am confident that a portion of the Prize Money will contribute to developing football and also benefit all the football stakeholders, as well as assist our Member Associations with their administrations," he concluded.

To put this into perspective, the 2021 tournament winner, Senegal, received USD 5 million (Ksh 565M), while the runner-up, Egypt, took home USD 2.75 million (Ksh 310M).

The semi-finalists and quarter-finalists earned USD 2.2 million and USD 1.175 million, respectively. The increase in prize money for the 2023 tournament is thus a significant step up.

CAF also confirmed that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be used in all 52 matches at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, as was the case in the previous edition in Cameroon.

This expansion of VAR, previously available only from the quarter-finals to the final in 2019, underscores CAF's commitment to fairness and modernity in the game.

The tournament will showcase a diverse team of 63 match officials, including 24 referees, 31 assistant referees, and eight video assistant referees, drawn from 36 countries. 

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The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast is poised to be a landmark event, offering not only increased financial rewards but also a platform for showcasing the ever-evolving talent and passion for football across the African continent.