A packed CAF calendar sets the stage
The Confederation of African Football is preparing for an unusually dense sequence of competitions stretching from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the African Nations Championship to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations itself. In parallel, the CAF Super Cup scheduled for 18 October will pitch the continent’s two club champions against each other, a single night that routinely draws television audiences in excess of thirty million according to previous CAF audience reports. It is against this backdrop that global bookmaker 1xBet – an official partner of CAF since 2022 – has unveiled the promotional campaign branded “CAF Trophy Hunt” (CAF partnership communiqué, 1xBet media release).
How the “Trophy Hunt” mechanics work
The promotion is designed around a straightforward sequence. After creating or logging into a verified 1xBet account, the participant clicks the “Take Part” banner on the dedicated page and places either single bets with minimum odds of 1.3 or accumulator bets in which each selection meets the same threshold. At least one event within each ticket must belong to a CAF tournament. Every qualifying wager generates a digital coupon automatically credited to the bettor’s profile. Newcomers obtain four additional coupons on their first stake, a lever clearly calibrated to accelerate conversion of occasional spectators into recurrent users.
Luxury tech prizes fuel fan engagement
Each coupon becomes an entry in six successive draws running from 29 July 2025 to 27 January 2026. The headline prizes escalate from iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPad Air 11 to a Valve Steam Deck, virtual-reality headsets and premium audio devices. Codes unlocking free bets complement the hardware windfall, ensuring that even secondary winners remain tethered to the platform. By weaving the promise of aspirational gadgets into the fabric of African football nights, the operator is attempting to turn matchdays into a hybrid entertainment-shopping experience reminiscent of campaigns seen in European leagues, yet still novel in many Central and West-African markets.
Super Cup spotlight: the third draw
The CAF Super Cup on 18 October will coincide with the third phase of the campaign. Historically, that match provides a symbolic bridge between the previous season’s champions and the forthcoming continental schedule; in 2025 it doubles as a crescendo for the promotion. According to 1xBet’s provisional calendar, coupons earned before 21 October will compete for the most coveted batch of prizes, including the latest Apple and Xiaomi smartphones, high-definition action cameras and smartwatches. The bookmaker’s marketing division is wagering that the heightened media exposure surrounding the Super Cup will maximise visibility for the brand as well as for CAF’s own sponsors, thus reinforcing a virtuous commercial loop.
À retenir
The campaign stretches over six draws aligned with the CAF season, rewards bets from odds of 1.3 upward, multiplies chances for first-time players and reserves its flagship gadgets for the Super Cup period. Fans therefore encounter a rare intersection between continental football passion and the consumer electronics zeitgeist.
Le point juridique et de compliance
Gambling regulation across the continent remains heterogeneous, with licences delivered nationally rather than by CAF. In Brazzaville, the National Lottery of Congo exercises oversight pursuant to the 2019 Gaming Act, requiring operators to ring-fence customer funds and promote responsible gambling. 1xBet, domiciled offshore but holding local approvals in several African jurisdictions, affirms that age verification and self-exclusion tools are embedded in the Trophy Hunt interface. Legal experts contacted underline that the material value of the prizes could be construed as an “inducement to gamble” under certain anglophone statutes, though francophone regulators typically accept such schemes provided full terms are published. By anchoring the draws to transparent calendars and disclosing odds thresholds, the company seeks to pre-empt accusations of unfair commercial practice.
Economic ripple effects for African football
Beyond individual incentives, the initiative channels fresh marketing revenue into CAF’s event pipeline. The confederation’s 2024 annual report estimated that commercial partnerships already contribute nearly forty percent of tournament financing. If engagement metrics meet projections, Trophy Hunt could bolster that share, allowing CAF to allocate additional funds to stadium maintenance, women’s football development and youth academies. Analysts at the Yaoundé-based Sports Business Observatory note that similar activations around UEFA competitions boosted broadcast rights fees by up to ten percent within two seasons, suggesting a plausible upside for the African confederation.
Voices from the pitch
Players themselves appear receptive. “A campaign that keeps fans glued to our games cannot hurt, provided gambling remains a choice and not an addiction,” says veteran Congolese midfielder Prince Ibara, reached by phone after a league fixture in Pointe-Noire. Meanwhile, Aïssata Tounkara, captain of Mali’s women national team, stresses that part of the new revenue should be earmarked for medical staff and travel logistics, “areas where women’s squads still lag their male counterparts.” Their comments reflect a broader consensus: commercial partnerships are welcome, yet they carry a responsibility to reinvest in sporting infrastructure.
Looking ahead to the final draw
If participation sustains its early momentum, the grand finale on 27 January 2026 will crown a six-month experiment in blending digital betting engagement with African football narratives. Industry observers will watch closely whether the operator publishes audited draw results, a practice considered best-in-class by the European Gaming and Betting Association and increasingly demanded by regulators in Central Africa. Transparency at that stage may determine the longevity of similar collaborations in future cycles.