Cairo (Egypt), 28 March 2026 - Eight African professional football leagues have today announced the creation of the African Leagues, a new regional division of the World Leagues Association (WLA), following a landmark meeting held this Saturday in Cairo, Egypt, with participation both in person and online.
The founding members, the leagues from Algeria, Botswana, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, came together around a “Declaration of Principles” and decided to commit to a unified approach to the development of club football across the African continent.
The African Leagues aims to promote national club competitions, strengthen sustainable and competitive professional league structures across the continent, advance governance standards, and foster collaboration across the continent.
The African Leagues will also serve as a platform to cooperate with continental and international bodies, including the Confederation of African Football (CAF), FIFPRO Africa, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), particularly through its Africa office in Cairo.
Ahmed Deiab, President of the Egyptian Pro League, has been nominated as Chair of the African Leagues to lead the strategic direction and representation.
To drive African Leagues' priorities, four task forces have been established:
• Membership Task Force
o Chair: Zimbabwe Premier Soccer league
o Members: Zambian Premier League, Uganda Premier League, Algerian Ligue de Football Professionnel
• Competitions Task Force
o Chair: South African Premier Soccer League
o Members: Nigerian Professional Football League, Algerian Ligue de Football Professionnel, Egyptian Pro League
• Social Dialogue Task Force
o Chair: Egyptian Pro League
o Members: Zimbabwe Premier League, Zambia Premier League
• Development Task Force
o Coordinated by the World Leagues Association with the participation of all members.
Supported by the World Leagues Association, the African Leagues represents a significant step in aligning the continent’s professional leagues to develop African club football and enhance its global standing.
The formation of the African Leagues reflects a shared commitment by the continent’s leading professional leagues to work together in shaping the future of football in Africa.
