African Stars make return to continental Football

MTC Premiership reigning champions African Stars face a grand task when they take on Comoros Islands' side Volcan Club de Moroni in the preliminary round of the 23rd edition of the African Champions League on Tuesday. African Stars, who traveled to Comoros over the weekend, will hope for a good result in the first leg on Tuesday, but the Comoros' team is allegedly a difficult hurdle overcome - especially when they are playing at home. The winner over the two-legged encounter will then take on either South Africa's Orlando Pirates or Seychelles' Light Stars on the weekend of the 14th of December, where the winners, plus the defending champions, will qualify for the group stages of the competition. African Stars, who in the past also competed in continental football, decided to enter this year again in order to showcase Namibian football to other African countries. The matches are televised live on television. Taking part in a competition of this magnitude comes with huge financial obligations and how African Stars plan to overcome that big obstacle is still seemingly unresolved. The CAF Champions League carries a big money pot, whereas the winner will take home 2.5 million US dollars and the runner up 1.5 million. Semifinalists get 800-thousand US dollars, the quarter finalists 650-thousand; and the third and bottom of the group 550-thousand each. National associations, such as the NFA then get an additional equivalent share of 5% for each amount awarded to that country's club in the competition. The competition is the premier club football competition in Africa and it is the equivalent to the UEFA Champions League in Europe, where the winner of the tournament earns a berth for the FIFA Club World Cup.

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Kavii Vezemburuka