Top 10 African leagues in 2025

Brief Summary

• From Sudan’s historic league to Egypt’s dominant Premier League, ranked by CAF success, finances, and fan support.
• South Africa’s PSL ($1.1M prize), Morocco’s Botola Pro, and Egypt’s Premier League lead in revenue and sponsorships.
• Al Ahly, TP Mazembe, Raja Casablanca, Wydad, and Mamelodi Sundowns continue shaping Africa’s football legacy.

Deep Dive!!

Lagos, Nigeria—African football leagues aim to usher in an exciting era in 2025, considering the love of football from fans on the continent and how much it has grown in revenue and competitiveness, both domestically and globally.

In this article, we consider three key criteria: success in CAF competitions, financial stability, and fan popularity, as we discuss the top 10 African leagues in 2025.

10. Sudan Premier League

The Sudan Premier League dates back to the 20th century, making it one of Africa’s oldest football leagues. The country has a long history of football and is part of the founding members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

When it comes to rivalry, two legendary clubs, Al Hilal Omudurman and Al-Merrikh SC, are the most talked about in the Sudan Premier League. Their fanbase is wild, and they have won numerous league titles. Whenever they are playing against each other, they are the most watched in East and North Africa.

The Sudanese Premier League have faced a lot of obstacles like political unrest, lack of sponsors and poor infrastructure, causing a slight setback to the league’s expansion. However, this doesn’t diminish their relevance since they have active supporters and rely on their two top clubs.

9.  Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) 

Nigeria’s Professional Football League is home to one of the biggest fan bases on the continent, with over 200 million people living in the country. This league have produced some of the elite international talents the world has seen, like Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, and Victor Osimhen. 

When it comes to the financial pool, the NPFL isn’t as strong as other African powerhouses since the champions go home with about N200 million ($130,640) as of 2025.

Despite not being among the richest African leagues, the NPFL produces a number of talents who have dominated Europe’s top leagues.

8. DR Congo Linafoot

DR Congo’s top league, the Linafoot, is renowned for giving birth to one of Africa’s most popular teams, TP Mazembe. This team has won major trophies like 2 Confederation Cups and five CAF Champions League titles, making them a global success and dominant force in Linafoot. The league’s popularity is also boosted on the continent with another successful club, AS Vita Club.

The accomplishments of TP Mazembe, which continues to rank among the richest teams in sub-Saharan Africa with yearly earnings of about $8 million, are closely linked to Linafoot's success.

7. Angolan Girabola

Girabola, Angola’s highest division, is also one to watch in the African football scene. The league is ranked seventh in CAF, a growth that dates back to the 2000s and has made major investments in sports, which are crucial to football’s growth in Southern Africa. Over time, the league has become more competitive, allowing several clubs to contend for the championship, which excites fans. 

In the league’s history, Petro de Luanda and Primeiro de Agosto are the major clubs, dominating at home and actively representing Angola in the CAF competitions. Other Angolan clubs have been motivated to improve their standards by their accomplishments.

When it comes to finances, Angola’s football is partially backed by its oil-rich economy. The Angolan government and corporate partnerships have helped so much in maintaining financial stability in the Girabola league.

ALSO READ: Top 10 Most Successful African Football Clubs of All Time

6. Tanzania Premier League (Ligi Kuu Bara)

The Tanzania Premier League, also known as Ligi Kuu Bara, has risen to prominence quickly as one of East Africa’s competitive leagues, in contrast to ten years ago, when the league was viewed as inferior to North and Southern Africa. They have risen to the sixth place in the CAF rankings as of 2025, mainly due to their investment in young academies, football infrastructure, and sponsorship deals.

We cannot round up the Tanzanian football discussion without including Simba SC and Yanga SC, two teams that have ruled the league and represented the country again and again in the CAF tournaments. Both teams have improved their rosters, attracted some foreign players, and made investments in better facilities as a result of their intense rivalry. 

The league's financial situation is improving. The league is one of the highest-paying in Africa, with champions earning over $236,000.

5. Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1

Teams like Espérance de Tunis in Tunisia’s Ligue Professionnelle 1, which have won the CAF Champions League four times, have continuously placed the league in the top five. 

Espérance, who frequently competes at the top level in CAF events, continues to be the gem of Tunisian football. In addition to contributing to Tunisia's rich football history, Club Africain and Étoile du Sahel foster a positive rivalry inside the league.

Even though Tunisian clubs lack the financial resources of South Africa's PSL, the competition nevertheless provides good financial returns, with winners taking home over $300,000. 

4. Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1

Whether it is locally or on the continent, clubs like CR Belouizdad and ES Sétif have dominated, while Algerian teams continue to outperform their peers in CAF competitions. Algeria has been able to maintain a competitive balance when compared to leagues that only have two dominant teams.

The prize money in Algeria's league is reasonable (about $400,000 for winners), even though it is not as rich as other top teams in Africa. Government assistance and sponsorships are still essential to the league's continued existence.

Algeria has produced global superstars like Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani as it continues to produce international-level stars.

3. South African Premier Soccer League (PSL)

Winners in the South African Premier Soccer League take home a staggering prize money of $1.1 million, which places them as the richest league in Africa. Profitable sponsorships, such as long-standing alliances with ABSA, Nedbank, and DSTV, which have contributed millions to South African football, support this financial stability.

The team that stands out is Mamelodi Sundowns, an unstoppable force in the PSL, winning league titles and gaining popularity on the continent.

2. Botola Pro (Morocco)

Owing so much to the successes of Raja Casablanca and Wydad Casablanca’s achievements, Morocco’s Botola Pro has become the continent’s second-best league. These teams have won the CAF Champions League severally, advancing to the final rounds of the CAF competitions steadily.

Morocco's league is a lucrative competition, with prize money ranging from $480,000 to $600,000. 

1. Egyptian Premier League (Egpt)

And here, we have the Egyptian Premier League competition, arguably the most prestigious domestic competition in Africa, winning 19 CAF trophies, the highest by any league on the continent.  Decades of investment, organised youth academies, and fervent supporters that pack stadiums across the nation are the reasons behind this domination.

As for financial stability, Egypt is doing pretty well, with the winner’s prize money ranging from $500,000 to $600,000.  Egyptian clubs are kept well-funded through sponsorship agreements with banking institutions, telecom behemoths, and government assistance. Egyptian club, Al Ahly, is not only the wealthiest club in Africa, but also among the richest outside of Europe and South America, with a valuation of almost €29.5 million.