Despite the disappointment that no African side qualified for the knockout phase of the FIFA Club World Cup, they still walked away with big cash prizes.
Check Out: Every Team Eliminated from the CWC
The FIFA Club World Cup group stages are now complete, and now enters the knockout phase. Several European powerhouses, including Juventus, Real Madrid and Manchester City and all four Brazilian sides competing (Botafogo, Palmeiras, Fluminense and Flamengo) qualified for the knockout phase.
It was a disappointing tournament for African sides as it's representatives (Al Ahly, Esperance, Wydad AC and Mamelodi Sundowns) all fell at the first hurdle.
Masandawana were the best-performing side in the USA, finishing third in Group F on 4 points, one behind Fluminense. They were the first African team to pick up a victory (1-0 against Ulsan HD) in their opening game.
Esperance performed admirably in Group D of the competition, picking up a hard-fought 1-0 win against Los Angeles FC. They had a chance to qualify for the next round but lost 3-0 to Chelsea in their last group game.
Al Ahly and Wydad AC failed to pick up a victory in their respective groups, despite admirable performances from both sides.
The Club World Cup represented an opportunity for clubs to get a substantial financial boost by participating in the tournament.
Each African side received $9.55 million (R170 million) for participating, but there were bonuses for every win and draw each team picked up.
Check Out: 'Riviero Lacks Experience'
We take a look at how much every team made at the FIFA Club World Cup, according to NBC Sports.
