The most successful African clubs have strong fan support. Fans cheer, demonise opponents, worship players and managers, and financially support their teams by buying club merchandise. Indeed, football without fans is nothing, as said by Jock Stein.
Many football clubs in Africa hold historical and cultural importance. Despite some clubs gaining recent success through corporate sponsorships, those with the most fans continue to be significant to the people.
In this article, we’ve considered social media following, match attendance, stadium capacity, and history to create a list of African football clubs with most fans.
So, which African clubs enjoy the largest fan base?
1. Al-Ahly
- Followers: 31.13 Million
- Facebook: 16 Million
- Twitter: 4.6 Million
- Instagram: 9.4 Million
- YouTube: 1.13 Million subscribers
Al-Ahly is the football team in Africa with the most fans. Founded in 1907, Al-Ahly SC has over 30 million followers on social media pages. In addition, the team had a unique support base known as the Ultras Ahlawy, an ultras group.
Ultras Ahlawy were so passionate about football and their team that they composed long-form supportive songs in all Egyptian stadiums.
However, in 2015, the government of Egypt banned the group and all other ultras because of deadly clashes in February 2012.
Al-Ahly plays in the Egyptian Premier League at the Cairo International Stadium with a seating capacity of 75,000. The team has won 120 titles over its 116-year-old history.
It has 42 Egypt Premier League titles, 38 Egypt Cup titles, and 12 Egyptian Super Cups.
Internationally, Al-Ahly has won 24 CAF titles, including 10 CAF Champions League titles. Moreover, the team has five titles from Arab competitions and three bronze medals in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Al-Ahly’s most famous players are Hossam Hassan, Essam El-Hadary, and Mohammed Aboutrika.
2. Zamalek
- Followers: 14.3 Million
- Facebook: 7.3 Million
- Twitter: 5 Million
- Instagram: 2 Million
- YouTube: 13,800 Subscribers
Zamalek SC has over 14 million followers on social media. The club was founded in 1911 and currently plays at the Cairo International Stadium with a capacity of 75,000. They share the same field with Al-Ahly, their arch-rivals.
Domestically, Zamalek SC has won 90 titles, including 14 Egyptian Premier League titles. Continentally, Zamalek SC has won 11 titles, including five CAF Champions League titles. Also, Zamalek has participated in Arab competitions and won three titles.
Zamalek’s most renowned players are Abdelwahed El Sayed, Shikabala, and Tarek Hamed.
3. Raja Club Athletic
- Followers: 10 Million
- Facebook: 5.9 Million
- Twitter: 0.857 Million
- Instagram: 2.7 Million
- YouTube: 0.521 Million
Raja Club Athletic is famously known as Raja Casablanca. The team has over 10 million social media followers and is Morocco’s most prominent sports club.
Raja Casablanca plays in the Standard Moroccan Tamazight (Botola) at the Stade Mohammed V, which has a capacity of 67,000 spectators.
Since its establishment in 1949, Raja Casablanca has won 12 league titles and 8 Moroccan cups. Also, it has participated continentally and won three CAF Champions League titles and five other CAF titles.
Top Moroccan players who have played for Raja Casablanca include Abdelmajid Dolmy, Mustapha Choukri, and Said Ghandi.
4. Simba SC
- Followers: 8.2 Million
- Facebook: 1.8 Million
- Twitter: 1.3 Million
- Instagram: 4.8 Million
- YouTube: 0.342 Million
Simba SC is one of the most-supported African football clubs. It is also the biggest club in Tanzania and East Africa, with a social media fanbase of over 8.2 million people.
The team plays at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, with a capacity of 60,000.
Simba SC plays in the Tanzanian Premier League. Since the club’s establishment in 1936, it has won 48 domestic titles, including 22 league titles and 26 cups.
Despite appearing in 31 continental competitions, including 11 CAF Champions League appearances, Simba SC is yet to win a CAF title.
Simba SC’s most renowned players are Mbwana Ally Samatta, Aishi Manula, and John Bocco.
5. Kaizer Chiefs
- Followers: 7.2 Million
- Facebook: 3.6 Million
- Twitter: 2.7 Million
- Instagram: 0.845 Million
- YouTube: 54,800 Subscribers
Kaizer Chiefs has over 7.2 million social media followers. The team plays in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) at the FNB stadium, with a capacity of 94,797.
Kaizer Chiefs was founded in 1970. Since then, the team has won 13 top-flight titles in South Africa, including four PSL titles.
It also has 41 league cups and one African Cup Winners’ Cup. In addition, the team was the runner-up during the 2020–21 CAF Champions League campaign.
Kaizer Chief’s most famous players are Doctor Khumalo, Marks Maponyane, and Siphiwe Tshabalala (known for his heroics at the 2010 World Cup hosted in South Africa).
6. Orlando Pirates
- Followers: 5.7 Million
- Facebook: 3.08 Million
- Twitter: 1.9 Million
- Instagram: 0.614 Million
- YouTube: 70,000 Subscribers
Orlando Pirates has over 5.7 million followers on social media. Founded in 1937 in Orlando, Soweto, Orlando Pirates plays at the Orlando Stadium with a capacity of 37,139.
Orlando Pirates won its first major competition, National Professional Soccer League, in 1971. Since then, the team has won nine South African League titles, including four Premier Soccer League titles and 20 Cup titles.
Many top African players have played for Orlando Pirates, including Benni McCarthy, Jomo Somo, and Jerry Sikhosana.
7. Pyramids FC
- Followers: 3.8 Million
- Facebook: 2.7 Million
- Twitter: 0.546 Million
- Instagram: 0.587 Million
- YouTube: 2,400 Subscribers
Pyramids FC has a social media fanbase of 3.8 million. Pyramids FC is one of the newest football clubs in Egypt, formed in 2008. The team plays in the Egyptian Premier League at the 30 June Stadium with a capacity of 30,000 fans.
Pyramids FC is yet to win a league or domestic title. Its best performance was in the 2021-22 season, finishing second in the Egyptian Premier League.
Also, the team has been runners-up in two Egypt Cup competitions. During the final of the 2019-20 CAF Confederation Cup, Pyramids FC lost 0-1 to RS Berkane of Morocco.
Pyramids FC’s most successful manager is Takis Gonias from Greece, with a win rate of 66.67%. Other top-achieving managers are Rodolfo Arruabarrena from Argentina (50% win rate) and Ante Čači from Croatia (63.64% win rate).
8. Mamelodi Sundowns
- Followers: 2.8 Million
- Facebook: 1.3 Million
- Twitter: 1 Million
- Instagram: 0.44 Million
- YouTube: 45,200
Mamelodi Sundowns has over 2.8 million followers on social media. The team plays in the South African Premier Soccer League at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, which has a capacity of 51.762 spectators.
Mamelodi Sundowns won its first league title in 1997. Since then, it has won 12 more PSL titles and 17 domestic cup titles. Moreover, the team has participated in CAF competitions and won the 2016 CAF Champions League title and the 2017 CAF Super Cup.
Some of the greatest players to play for Mamelodi Sundowns are Daniel Mudau, Alje Schut, and Bennet Mnguni.
9. Club Africain
- Followers: 2.4 Million
- Facebook: 1.98 Million
- Twitter: 47,900
- Instagram: 0.29 Million
- YouTube: 48,800
Club Africain has over 2.4 million followers across its social media channels. The club plays in the Tunisian Championship, and its home ground is Stade Olympique de Radès, with a spectator capacity of 60,000.
Club Africain was founded in 1920. For over 100 years, the team has won 13 Tunisian League titles, 13 Tunisian Cups, and three Tunisian Super Cups.
The club won its first and only African Cup of Champions Clubs title during the 1991-92 season. However, it has nine regional titles, including the Arab Cup Winners’ Cup it won in 1995.
Club African’s most recognised players are Wissem Ben Yahia, Zouheir Dhaouadi, and Tijani Belaïd.
10. Esperance Sportive de Tunis
- Followers: 2 Million
- Facebook: 1.4 Million
- Twitter: 150,000
- Instagram: 0.44 Million
- YouTube: 0.22 Million
Esperance has over 2 million followers on social media. The club plays at the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi, which has a capacity of 60,000 spectators.
While Esperance may not be the African club with the highest number of fans, it has a rich history.
The club was founded in 1919, and throughout its 104 years in Tunisia’s league, it has won 32 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 titles and 21 cup titles.
Esperance is also a competitive African football club with four CAF Champions League titles and three other continental cups.
Some of the best players to have played for Esperance are Ahmed Akaïchi, Wajdi Bouazzi, and Mohamed Ali Yacoubi.
Have your say
To determine the ranking of the football teams, we considered the readily available data, which was the number of followers on social media.
We also discovered that many African football clubs with the largest followings are over forty years old.
However, Pyramids FC stands out because it has surpassed numerous traditional clubs and has emerged as one of Africa’s most rapidly growing football clubs.
Did we miss out on an African club that you consider to have the most significant number of supporters on the continent?
Furthermore, can you mention other players who performed well for their respective clubs?
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