JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- Africa's leading club competition celebrates its 40th edition this year facing an uncertain future as it struggles to keep up to date with changing times.

At the weekend, clubs from around the continent begin the long march to decide the annual African Champions League title when they play in 17 first-round, first-leg ties from Madagascar in the east to the Gambia in the west.

This year sees the latest tweaking of the format of a competition first introduced in 1965 when four clubs assembled in Accra, Ghana, to play for a trophy donated by the then Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah.

For the first time, 12 leading footballing countries have been allowed to enter a second representative into the Champions League to expand television interest and bring the event more in line with its European counterpart.

From next year, the winners of the competition will also take part in the revamped FIFA Club World Championship, announced by FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Sunday.

That annual competition, comprising the six continental club champions from FIFA's confederations, could provide a greater incentive for the continent's top sides.

For although the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have long followed the trends set by the UEFA Champions League they are hampered by the African continent's unique problems -- poor infrastructure and travel connections, few commercial opportunities and the exodus of the best African footballers to clubs overseas.

LESS SIGNIFICANT

The Champions League used to be the annual showpiece of the continent's talent but has become less significant with each passing year as Africa is bombarded with images of European football.

Attempts to keep the African competition relevant have seen the introduction of a league format and the change of title from the Champions Cup to the Champions League in 1997.

For the first time prize money was offered to the eight clubs who reached the league stage of the competition -- revenue from the sale of the television and marketing rights to the French company SportFive.

But in recent years, sponsors for the Champions League have become more difficult to attract because of the standard of television coverage provided.

The rules state that the eight participating clubs in the Champions League must ensure that their home games are filmed for television. For teams in countries where there is no sophisticated television infrastructure, this is a costly burden which effectively wipes out any earnings they might garner from reaching the league stage.

The poor quality of the television pictures -- some matches are broadcast without a single replay screened -- added to mediocre football played on bumpy surfaces leaves the Champions League a threatened product with few takers around the continent.

MAJOR DEALS

Currently there are only two major deals, with SuperSport, a South African-based satellite chain, and ART, an Arab satellite operation.

But ART have launched a product of their own in the last six months: the Arab Champions League which involves top clubs from north Africa who have been so dominant in the African Champions League in recent years.

Club officials have already suggested they could chose to play in the Arab version only. It offers all-expenses-paid travel and earnings on a par with the $3.5 million offered by the CAF annually.

The African Champions League's image has been tarnished by violence at its finals in recent years, including rioting last December that held up the presentation ceremony for more than 30 minutes.

The CAF recently gave stiff penalties to Ismaili of Egypt and Tunisia's Esperance for incidents at their home grounds last year but in general most sanctions taken by the CAF against errant clubs and players have had little effect and have been criticised as "too soft."

The 40th edition of the tournament will start in Tripoli on Friday and run through to the second leg of the final in December.