Across the World, different things unite different people. In Africa, football without a doubt is one sport that unites the continent. The football game is interesting because it closes the gap that divides people along religious, ethnics, and racial lines. The African continent has several football clubs that continue to perform well, not only on the pitch but also in terms of wealth. Lots of money has been invested in football and some of the richest football teams are beginning to emerge from Africa.
Some of the big names behind soccer in Africa include Irving Khoza, the man behind the Orlando Pirates Football Club of South Africa, Ali Haddad – The president of USM Algiers, Ifeanyi Ubah – The Nigerian billionaire who owns a club named after himself, Dr. Papa Kwasi NDUOM – who built a complete stadium for his Elmina Sharks Football Club in Ghana, Moise Kitumbi who singlehandedly funded a $35 million stadium for TP Mazembe, the list goes on and on. Although Africa has hundreds of football teams, we shall examine the top 20 richest football teams in Africa in this article.
1. Al Ahly SC
- Net worth: $ 31 million
- Year Founded: April 24. 1907
- Owner: Mahmoud El Khatib
- Home Country: Egypt
- No of Domestic Titles: 90
- No of International Titles: 25
Egypt appears to be the only African country to have invested heavily in its football talent and it has paid off for the country and even Africa at large. Al Ahly SC is based in Cairo, Egypt, and is among the best and also one of the richest football teams in Africa. The club which started in 1907 as just a place of gathering for Cairo’s Student Unions has grown in leaps and bounds to become the most successful football club in African history.
With a record of forty-two national league titles, thirty-seven national cup titles, eleven national super cup titles, eight titles of the CAF Champions League, six titles of the CAF Super Cup, four titles of the Winners’ Cup of African Cup, amongst others, they are definitely the most decorated club in Egypt. It was also declared the African club of the century in 2001. With over 20 international titles, Al Ahly SC is considered the most successful team in Africa and the second most successful club in the World behind Real Madrid who has 26 international titles.
2. Pyramids FC
- Net worth: $24.4 million
- Year Founded: 2008
- Owner: Salem Al Shamsi
- Home Country: Egypt
- No of Domestic Titles: N/A
- No of International Titles: N/A
The second club on the list of the richest football teams in Africa is also an Egyptian football team and it was founded in 2008 under the name Al Assiouty Sport. Due to a change of ownership, It was named Pyramids FC in 2018. A lot of money has since been invested in the club since 2019 after Turki al-sheik acquired ownership, which has affected the Egyptian Premier League. Even though they are yet to win any major league, they are definitely in a better place as a team and also one of the richest teams in Africa.
3. Zamalek Sporting Club
- Net worth: $23.6 Million
- Year Founded: January 5, 1911
- Owner: Emad Abdel-Aziz (Interim Chairman)
- Home Country: Egypt
- No of Domestic Titles: 59
- No of International Titles: 16
The Egyptian football team was founded in 1911 as the Qasr El Nile Club. The current manager of the team is Patrice Carteron, who was appointed in December 2019. The team has 4 CAF Championship titles, 2 CAF Super Cup titles, one African Cup Winner title, a CAF Confederation Cup title, among others. Long before other clubs began to emerge, Zamalek already established itself as a major force in Egyptian football, especially during the 1920s. It is also the first Egyptian team to win titles both nationally and internationally. It has been described as the most decorated African club of this century as it holds several unbeatable records.
4. Mamelodi Sundown
- Net worth: $23.1 Million
- Year Founded: 1970
- Owner: Patrice Motsepe
- Home Country: South Africa
- No of Domestic Titles: 24
- No of International Titles: 2
Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club has played in the Premier Soccer League since its inception in 1996. This is the first South African team to make it to this list of the richest football teams in Africa Sundowns as they are called for short have won the league title a record 10 times. They are currently the most successful South African football club and arguably the biggest. Moreover, Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club has held the record for the highest score against Powerlines FC (24-0) since creating a professional championship in South Africa in 1996-1997. A business tycoon and a billionaire owns the club and the club has won more titles than any other South African football club in history.
5. L’Esperance de Tunis
- Net worth: $21.7 Million
- Year Founded: January 15, 1919
- Owner: Hamdi Meddeb
- Home Country: Tunisia
- No of Domestic Titles: 51
- No of International Titles: 13
This Tunisian football team was founded in 1919 and holds the record as the oldest active football club in Tunisia to date, so it’s no surprise that it’s on the list of the richest football teams in Africa. Espérance as it is called for short is presently the most domestically successful Tunisian club with more than 50 domestic trophies which is more than any other Tunisian football club in history. At the international level, they have won a total of 13 trophies. Even though they experienced a period of drought, all that came to in 2007 after Hamdi Meddeb took over the club. Meddeb focused on recruiting Tunisian and African talents and also boosting the club financially which is how it has become one of the richest teams in Africa.
6. Orlando Pirates
- Net worth: $17.9 Million
- Year Founded: 1937
- Owner: Irvin Khoza
- Home Country: South Africa
- No of Domestic Titles: 9
- No of International Titles: 2
Orlando is a South African football team formed in 1937 as the Orlando Boys Club. The current director is Josef Zinnbauer. The club has played in the Premier Soccer League since its inception and holds the record as the first club to win 3 major trophies back to back in a single season. Moreover, they are one of the only 2 South African teams (alongside Mamelodi Sundowns) to win the CAF Champions League. In the 2016/2017 season, they drew an average home attendance of 14,533 which became the second-highest in the league. They are the second South African club on this list of the richest football teams in Africa.
7. Paradou Athletic Club
- Net worth: $16.9 Million
- Year Founded: Aug 16, 1994
- Owner: Hassen Zetchi
- Home Country: Algeria
- No of Domestic Titles: 1
- No of International Titles: N/A
The PAC is the only football club that has a real training center of international standard so they definitely deserve to be on the list of the richest football teams in Africa considering how much money they invested in their training center alone. The ambition of a group of friends was to create a space where young people could meet in search of leisure, or a form of hobby especially after hard days of schooling. After careful consideration and various proposals, it was decided that they would set up a classic football team with the name Paradou Athletic Club (PAC).
The founding members of the Paradou Athlétic Club, including the brothers Kheireddine and Hassen Zetchi, have taken care to structure this club with rigorous management since its creation. They have worked hard to develop and inculcate moral values such as brotherhood, humanity, respect for others in their members which are the basis of success for any high-level athlete.
8. Étoile Sportive du Sahel
- Net worth: $16.5 Million
- Year Founded: May 11, 1925
- Owner: Ridha Charfeddine
- Home Country: Tunisia
- No of Domestic Titles: 24
- No of International Titles: 12
The ESS is considered one of the best clubs in Tunisia. They have a reputation for playing entertaining football and have evolved recently into a more professional outfit which will make them stand a better chance of winning trophies both home and abroad. Besides being the first Tunisian club to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup, the Sahelian club is the first Tunisian club to win the CAF Champions League in its new edition. They had this victory on the 9th of November, 2007, after losing two finals to Al Ahly SC in 2005 and Enyimba FC in 2004.
After beating Al Ahly in the final in Cairo, they finally had the chance to participate in the club soccer world cup held in Japan. For its first match, the team faced Club de Fútbol Pachuca-champions of Mexico, who is also the winner of the CONCACAF Champions League. The match ended with the victory of the ESS in the last minutes of the game, all thanks to a strike from 28 meters by Musa Nary.
9. Wydad Casablanca
- Net worth: $16.17 Million
- Year Founded: May 8, 1937
- Owner: Said Naciri
- Home Country: Morocco
- No of Domestic Titles: 30
- No of International Titles: 12
Wydad Casablanca, widely referred to as WAC, was established in Morocco in 1937. The current head coach is Amine Boulhala. The club is definitely one of the most successful teams from Morocco and Africa as a whole which is one of the reasons why they are on the list of the richest football teams in Africa. With a fan base counted in millions all over the world, WAC is one of the most popular teams in Morocco. Their association of supporters is called Winners 2005. They are known for their signature and spectacular displays at each of their games. The team has two CAF Champions League titles, one CAF Cup winner title, one CAF Super Cup title, and 20 Moroccan League titles amongst others.
10. Raja Club Athletic
- Net worth: $14 Million
- Year Founded: March 20, 1949
- Owner: Rachid Andaloussi
- Home Country: Morocco
- No of Domestic Titles: 20
- No of International Titles: 10
Raja Club Athletic is one of the founding clubs of the championship under the aegis of the then established Royal Moroccan Football Federation, playing in the inaugural 1956-1957 season, which began on September 15, 1956. Since that date, the club has not left the elite of Moroccan football, which is a record on its own. The Raja has been seated at the Raja-Oasis Sports Complex since its construction in 1983, where it carries out its training, and has played its matches at the Stade Mohammed- The club also participated twice in the Confederation Cup, in 2010 and then in 2018. Raja is one of the largest football clubs in the continent and the second only Arab team (alongside Al Ain FC) to ever get to the final of the FIFA Club World Cup.
11. Kaizer Chiefs FC
- Net worth: $13.47 million
- Year Founded: January 7, 1970
- Owner: Kaizer Motaung
- Home Country: South Africa
- No of Domestic Titles: 53
- No of International Titles: 1
Kaizer Chiefs are a leading South African football team formed in 1970. The current coach is Gavin Hunt. Kaizer Chiefs has managed to win over 50 trophies. They have a fan support base of over 16 million fans, making them the most supported team in all of sub-Saharan Africa. The team practically rose to stardom given the large amount of finance that it enjoyed from its sponsor. The club has been penalized by CAF twice for its refusal to participate in a competition.
12. Entente sportive sétifienne (ES Sétif)
- Net worth: $12.1m
- Year Founded: 1958
- Owner: Azzedine Arab
- Home Country: Algeria
- No of Domestic Titles: 18
- No of International Titles: 9
ES Sétif is one of the oldest clubs in Algeria. Since its creation, the club has been successively called Entente Sportive Sétifienne, Entente Pétrolière de Sétif and Entente Plastique de Sétif, before adopting its current name. They are the most popular club in eastern Algeria and remain the only team in the country to have won the Afro-Asian Cup, the Arab Champions League and one of the 3 Algerian clubs to have won the CAF Champions League. They won it in 1988 and 2014.
13. Chabab Riadhi Belouizdad
- Net worth: $13.72 Million
- Year Founded: July 15, 1962
- Owner: Djamel Ghazli
- Home Country: Algeria
- No of Domestic Titles: 18
- No of International Titles: N/A
Created by the merger of two former clubs belcourtois (Widad Riadhi Belcourt 1947 and Athéltique Club Belcourt 1950), CRB as it is called for short is becoming a better and more prestigious club of the Algerians. The club has produced several notable players further establishing itself as a major force in Algerian football. In 2010, the club obtained professional status following a reform of the championship to professionalize Algerian football. The CRB won its first Algerian title just three years after its creation, at the end of the 1964/1965 season.
14. SuperSport United
- Net worth: $10.55 Million
- Year Founded: 1994
- Owner: SuperSport
- Home Country: South Africa
- No of Domestic Titles: 14
- No of International Titles: N/A
The club was originally known as Pretoria City and it was purchased by M-Net in 1994. M-Net received National Football League approval and the club was renamed. The club includes a professional football team affiliated with the Premier Soccer League as well as various youth academy teams from the SuperSport United Youth Academy playing in their respective SAFA structures. Home games are usually played at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria. In recent times the club has won many matches at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. According to several sources, their youth academy remains one of the best in the country having graduated notable players like Kermit Erasmus, Diane Klate, and Ronwen Williams.
15. Ismaily Sporting Club
- Net worth: $10.1 Million
- Year Founded: March 20, 1924
- Owner: Ibrahim Osman
- Home Country: Egypt
- No of Domestic Titles: 5
- No of International Titles: 1
The club was originally named Nahda Sporting Club by donors who wanted a club for the city. The club is the first major Egyptian team to emerge in the Suez Canal area. It was formerly located in the square of the Friday market today of Ismailia until 1926 when the club joined the Egyptian Football Federation. It was then moved after they acquired land with the help of donations from the people of the city. The club is considered an Egyptian national club for several reasons. One of them is that it was the first Egyptian club to win the CAF Championship League in 1969. That monumental win remains a big victory in the minds of the people. Since its inception, the club has been run by the Osman family and more recently the Greisha family.
16. Mouloudia Club d’Alger
- Net worth: $10 Million
- Year Founded: 1921
- Owner: Abdenacer Almas
- Home Country: Algeria
- No of Domestic Titles: 20
- No of International Titles: 3
The team played its first official competitions the year it was founded in 1921 within the Algiers Football Association League (LAFA). After Algeria’s independence, the club managed to enter the elite called Nationale Une in 1962 and obtained the status of semi-professional. In 2010, the club obtained professional status following a championship reform to professionalize Algerian football. The MCA won its first Algerian title at the end of the 1971-1972 season.
MC Alger is considered one of the most successful clubs from Algeria as they were the first club from Algeria to win a continental competition after they became the champions in the 1976 African Cup of Champions Clubs. They have also won the domestic cup and league 8 and 7 times respectively.
17. Union Sportive de la Médina d’Alger
- Net worth: $9.85 Million
- Year Founded: 1937
- Owner: Serport Group and CSA
- Home Country: Algeria
- No of Domestic Titles: 18
- No of International Titles: N/A
After its first title of champion of Algeria in 1963, USM Algiers experienced a long period of famine, notably marked by seven defeats in the final of the Algerian Cup, including five consecutive losses from 1969 to 1973. The club changed its name in 1977 and became the Union sportive kahraba d’Alger as part of a sports reform undertaken by the Algerian state. The shortage of titles ended in 1981 when the USKA won the Algerian Cup for the first time in its history. Seven years later, in 1988, the Reds and Blacks as they are fondly called under the same name, won the competition again.
Despite all it has been through, the club still possesses one of Algeria’s most interesting football charts. They have won the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 and the Algerian Cup about eight times each amongst other prestigious titles. USMA is ranked the18th best African team by the IFFHS for the 2001 to 2010 decade.
18. Sports Renaissance of Berkane
- Net worth: $9.82 Million
- Year Founded: 1938
- Owner: Hakim Benabdellah
- Home Country: Moroccan
- No of Domestic Titles: 1
- No of International Titles: 1
The Berkane Football team had existed since the protectorate, formerly called Association Sportive de Berkane (ASB). The number of players, at that time, did not exceed 18, composed of French and Moroccans. In this Franco-Moroccan team, there were three Moroccans.
During this time, the clubs of the Moroccan east exactly the region of Oujda participated in the championship of the League of Oran of Football Association until the season 1939-40 before they founded the Moroccan league. The club has been making slow but steady progress and things finally paid off after they won their first-ever title in 2018 – the Moroccan Throne Cup.
In 2020, they clinched their first continental title in their history after they were crowned Confederation Cup champions.
19. Hassania Agadir
- Net worth: $8.88 Million
- Year Founded: 1946
- Owner: Habib Sidinou
- Home Country: Morocco
- No of Domestic Titles: 3
- No of International Titles: N/A
The Hassania Union Sport Agadir (HUSA) club was created on the patriotic impulse of a few football fans who wanted to form a football team made up of Muslims only. Its name is a tribute to the founding father and first sponsor of the late Haj Driss Lahlou club whom the first name of his daughter Hassania was chosen by the other founding members of the club. The members of the team set up a makeshift training ground outside Agadir (Mercala field), they took charge of their equipment as well as all the costs related to the matches they played both locally and outside their city. HUSA played their first away game in Sale. The team was accused by the colonial police of illegal political activism.
20. Club Africain
- Net worth: $8.6 Million
- Year Founded: October 4, 1920
- Owner: Yousef El Almi
- Home Country: Tunisia
- No of Domestic Titles: 29
- No of International Titles: 10
The current manager of the club is Montassar Louhichi. After being in the industry for almost a century, they have managed to win over 10 championship titles and other continental honors. It is one of the two big clubs of the capital of Tunisia, Tunis, with the Esperance Sportif de Tunis (EST). The team holds the record as the first Tunisian club to win an international trophy in 1971 with their win of the Maghreb Cup.
Football Development In Africa
The game of football or soccer as some call it has developed rapidly in Africa especially among the teams’ sides since the establishment of the CAF champions league. Aside from the huge amount of money that has been pumped into the game, which has seen several of these clubs moving to the league of some of the richest teams in Africa and also the world at large, clubs who qualify for the CAF champions league come together across the continent to compete for the first three positions in the tournament. The winner of the competition is automatically qualified for the next edition and is also qualified for the CAF Supercup as well as the FIFA Club World Cup. Al Ahly SC holds the record as the most successful club in the history of the competition with nine victories, and they are also the present titleholders.
The first trophy bore the name of Kwame Nkrumah and was permanently retained by the Guinean club Hafia FC in 1977 (the first club to have won the trophy three times in 1972, 1975, and 1977 ). The President of Guinea, Ahmed Sékou Touré, then offered a new trophy, which was kept by the Egyptian club Zamalek in 1993 (for their victories in 1984, 1986 and 1993 ). The strength of each team is mostly determined by the number of skillful players they can buy into the clubs and their match formation.
5 Richest Club Owners In Africa.
As the game of football continues to change lives all around the world, several African business owners and entrepreneurs have come to realize that investing in football might be a worthwhile venture after all. Even though they made the bulk of their money from other businesses and investments, most of them have come to realize that investing in football is also a way of giving back to society and building up Africa. Here is a list of the 5 richest club owners in Africa.
- Country: South Africa
- Club: Mamelodi Sundowns
- Net Worth: $3.2 billion
2. Johann Rupert
- Country: South Africa
- Club: Vasco Da Gama F.C. ( now Stellenbosch F.C)
- Net Worth: $5.4 billion
3. Ifeanyi Ubah
- Country: Nigeria
- Club: Ifeanyi Ubah F. C.
- Net Worth: $1.7 billion
4. Ali Haddad
- Country: Algeria
- Club: USM Algiers
- Net Worth: $300 million
5. Dr. Papa Kwasi Nduom
- Country: Ghana
- Club: Elmina Sharks F.C.
- Net Worth: $300 million