African clubs have once again fallen short at the FIFA Club World Cup after all four representatives were eliminated at the group stage. Despite the early exits, the continent’s teams are walking away with huge financial rewards for their participation in the expanded global tournament.
Africa was represented by Egypt’s Al Ahly, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club, and Esperance Sportive de Tunis from Tunisia. Each side entered the competition with optimism and competitive squads, but the level of opposition proved too strong.
Mamelodi Sundowns came the closest to progressing to the knockout stages. After a narrow 1-0 win over South Korea’s Ulsan HD and a thrilling 4-3 loss to Borussia Dortmund, the South African side needed a win against Brazilian club Fluminense to advance. However, a 0-0 draw meant they finished third in the group with four points, one shy of qualification. Financially, they earned the most among the African contingent, securing a participation fee of $9.5 million and an additional $3 million for their group performance, totaling $12.5 million (approximately Ksh1.6 billion).
Al Ahly had a mixed tournament. The Egyptian side drew 0-0 with Inter Miami in their opener, a game they dominated and even missed a penalty. That was followed by a 2-0 defeat to Palmeiras of Brazil before ending their campaign with a thrilling 4-4 draw against FC Porto. Their two draws earned them $2 million in bonuses, which, added to their participation fee, brought their total earnings to $11.5 million (about Ksh1.5 billion).
Esperance, representing Tunisia, began with a 2-0 defeat to Flamengo, then revived hopes with a 1-0 win over LAFC. But a heavy 3-0 loss to Chelsea confirmed their exit. Like Al Ahly, they earned $2 million in performance bonuses to bring their overall earnings to $11.5 million.
Wydad Athletic Club still had one match left, against Al Ain of the UAE, but had already been eliminated after a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City and a 4-1 loss to Juventus. Without a draw or a win, they had yet to add to their $9.5 million participation fee. A positive result in their final match would allow them to increase that amount by $1 million or $2 million depending on the outcome.
While results on the pitch disappointed, African clubs will return home with millions in their coffers.
