The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made a significant announcement on Thursday, January 4, 2024, revealing a substantial 40% boost in the prize money for the champion of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations held in Côte d’Ivoire.
According to a statement published on CAF’s official website, cafonline.com, the victor of this year’s tournament will now be awarded $7 million, a notable increase from the initial $5 million.
In a similar vein, the runner-up will now receive $4 million, up from the previous $2.7 million, and each of the two semi-finalists will be granted $2.5 million.
Patrice Motsepe, the president of CAF, expressed satisfaction with the progress made over the past two years in augmenting the prize money for the AFCON and other major competitions.
Motsepe stated, “We have elevated the AFCON Winner’s Prize Money to USD 7,000,000, marking a 40% rise from the previous AFCON prize money. I am optimistic that a portion of the prize money will contribute to football development, benefit all football stakeholders, and assist our Member Associations in their administrative endeavors.”
The upcoming edition of the tournament is scheduled to commence on January 13 and conclude on February 11.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles find themselves in Group A alongside hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau.
CAF has increased AFCON prize money by 40%:
🥇 $7,000,000
🥈 $4,000,000
🥉 $2,500,000
4️⃣ $2,500,000
5️⃣ $1,300,000
6️⃣ $1,300,000
7️⃣ $1,300,000
8️⃣ $1,300,000Source: @CAF_Online #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/uFP4leJnsO
— Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) January 4, 2024
It’s worth noting that the last time the Eagles clinched the African championship title was at the 2013 edition in South Africa.
In a related development, Wilfred Ndidi will miss the AFCON 2023 due to injury, and Royal Antwerp midfielder Alhassan Yusuf has been named as his replacement.
