Potential Champions League elimination could be huge financial blow for Pirates

Orlando Pirates stand to lose US$600 000 or around R10,4 million, if they are eliminated from the African Champions League at the weekend, in what will be a hefty blow to the club’s finances.

Pirates have to fight back from a 0-3 deficit to stand any chance of qualifying for the Champions League group phase after a surprise loss away against St Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Lubumbashi last Sunday.

The minimum prize money in the group phase is $700 000, going up to $4 million for the winner, plus a vastly more lucrative berth in the next Club World Cup in 2029.

But if Pirates fail to get past their Congolese opponents at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday, they will receive only $100 000 for participating in this year’s Champions League, which could not even be enough to cover their costs of playing two rounds of preliminary knockout competition, including chartering a Cemair plane to Lubumbashi and back last weekend.

This is only the second year that clubs eliminated from African club competition before the group phase receive money. It has been increased 100 per cent from $50 000 last season but is still markedly less than the lucrative spoils for the 16 clubs who advance to the group phase.

Last year, the Confederation of African Football announced a new prize money structure for both the Champions League and the African Confederation Cup, and the monies handed out after the 2024-25 campaign are expected to stay the same for this season.

The last increase in prize monies for the two competitions was a 40 per cent improvement.

In the Champions League, the winner gets $4 million - an increase from the $2.5 million for the winner of the 2024 final.

The runner-up will receive $2 million. The semifinalists receive $1.2 million each, while each club that reaches the quarterfinals will receive $900 000. Teams that finish in third and fourth place in the group stage will each receive $700 000, bringing the total prize pool to $17.6 million.

In the Confederation Cup, the prize money for the winner has increased from $1.25 million to $2 million.

The runner-up gets $1 million, with $750 000 for the semifinalists and $550 000 for those teams eliminated in the quarterfinals. The teams eliminated in the group phase receive $400 000.