Pirates have shot at biggest payday
SUCCESS in the African Champions League will not only bring Orlando Pirates their biggest ever single cheque but will also open the door to much more money for the club.
The winner of this year ’ s Champions League takes home a prize of $1.5-million, which at the prevailing exchange rate comes in at around R14.8-million.
It would be the biggest individual prize for any South African club, considerably more than Pirates ’ biggest single prize money payout to date when they won the league in 2011-2012 and took home R10-million.
But Champions League success also opens the door to participate in the Fifa Club World Cup in December where the spoils are much more lucrative.
Should the Buccaneers quality for the tournament in Morocco, Fifa takes care of all their travel costs and expenses and they are guaranteed $500 000 (about R4.9million) just for pitching up.
Africa ’ s representatives have been drawn to play Asia ’ s winners in the quarterfinals and should they win that, a semifinal place would guarantee them a minimum of $2-million.
First prize is $5-million , the runner-up gets $4-million and the third place play-off winners $2.5-million.
That is likely to be pure profit for Pirates although the Champions League pay- out has in all likelihood been decimated already by all the travel expenses from trips to the Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt (three times), Tunisia and Zambia in this year ’ s competition. Their chartering of a plane so they could go to Congo to take on AC Leopards in the group phase in Congo last month reportedly cost about R800 000 alone.
Caf also has some odious expenses that they pile onto the finalists but the South Africans must feel themselves fortunate that they are not hosting the second leg of the final. Champions League rules state that the host association of the first leg of the final pays for the travel, stay and fee of the match commissioner, referee and assistants. They are economy-class fares.
For the second leg, which is being played in Cairo on November 10, the hosts must pay for the match commissioner and referees plus first-class travel and stay of the Caf president, and his daily allowance of some R10 000. They also cover accommodation and transport for a host of Caf committee members, among other expenses.