Professionalism in African football is gradually gaining the attention it deserves and in no long a time, it will be the talk on the lips of the stakeholders and followers of the globular leather.
This is largely due to the Club Licensing System, which seeks to raise the level of club football on and off the pitch, and represents a long term development tool for Confederations and Members Association as defined by FIFA.
This is largely due to the Club Licensing System, which seeks to raise the level of club football on and off the pitch, and represents a long term development tool for Confederations and Members Association as defined by FIFA.
Following a decision at the FIFA Congress in Munich, Germany in 2006, Club Licensing is a system that sets criteria that clubs must meet to ensure participation, with the world soccer governing body listing it a top priority for the 2015-2018 Cycle.
Since then a lot of brainstorming has been done at the continental level regarding the implementation of the system, expected to revolutionise club football. Set to be the guiding principle and requirement for the participation into the major CAF Club Championships including the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, its objective include but no limited to;
-The promoting and improving of the quality and the level of all football aspects in Africa;
- Ensuring that the clubs have the appropriate infrastructure, knowledge and application in respect of management and organisation;
- Adapting and improving the clubs sporting infrastructure;
- Improving the economic and financial capacity of clubs, through proper corporate governance and control;
- Ensuring and guaranteeing the continuity of international competitions of clubs during the season.
Meeting the above objectives hinges strongly on the five criteria for Club Licensing namely Sporting, Infrastructure, Administrative, Financial and Legal with the support of the panel of CAF Club Licensing instructors to verify the established procedure and also facilitate its organisation.
The CAF Executive Committee at its meeting in Cairo, Egypt on 16 May 2011 approved the recommendations of the Interclubs Committee that tasked member associations to adhere to the required criteria for an effective implementation of club licensing in Africa.
And it was not long that CAF hit the ground running with a seminar on the sidelines of the third edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Cape Town, South Africa on 30-31 January 2014 attended by various stakeholders and officials of some renowned clubs drawn from the CAF Zones.
Clubs that took part in the historic seminar which had in attendance FIFA President, Joseph Sepp Blatter and CAF President, Issa Hayatou included AS Vita, TP Mazembe (DR Congo); Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa); ES Setif, JS Kabylie (Algeria); AC Leopards, Diables Noirs (Congo), Zesco United (Zambia); Diambars, Diaraf (Senegal); Esperance, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia); ASEC Mimosas, Africa Sports (Cote d’Ivoire); Kano Pillars, Enyimba (Nigeria) and Al Ahly, Zamalek (Egypt).
The rest are Coton Sport, Canan Yaounde (Cameroon); Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak (Ghana); El Merreikh, El Hilal (Sudan); Saint-George (Ethiopia); Stade Malien, Djoliba (Mali); Raja Athletic Club, Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco); US Bitam (Gabon); ASFA Yennenga (Burkina Faso); AS Kaloum, Horoya (Guinea), Gor Mahia (Kenya); Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) and Dynamos (Zimbabwe).
Ever since, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge with the selection of the panel of instructors and climaxed with the organisation of two seminar early this year, one by FIFA and the other by CAF to pave way for the organisation of the seminars for the national associations.
In addition, three countries namely Algeria, Ghana and South Africa were selected for a pilot project to gather and exchange ideas for the national seminars.
Amongst the objectives for the seminars at the national level include Review of the club licensing system and regulations; Review on the progress for each criteria (Sporting, Infrastructure, Administrative, Finance and Legal); Identification of main challenges, Forster communication of concern amongst key stakeholders and the establishment of an overall roadmap for at least three years.
Whilst every national association is expected to organise a seminar at the local level, others have taken the lead with Ethiopia, the first from 16-17 July in Addis Ababa.
Cameroon and Rwanda were next, 24-25 July in Douala and Kigali respectively; Togo had its turn from 28-29 July in Lome; Ghana from 25-27 in Accra and Nigeria between 26 and 28 July in Abuja.
Senegal was from 14-15 September in Dakar; Gabon from 16-17 September in Libreville and Sao Tome & Principe from 17-18 September.
Each national seminar was coordinated by three instructors from the panel.
ETHIOPIA
16-17 July 2015; Addis Ababa
Instructors
*Poobalan Govindasamy - South Africa (Administrative, Legal and Financial)
*Sue Destombes - South Africa (Infrastructure)
*Masud Didi Draman from Ghana (Sporting)
CAMEROON
24-25 July 2015, Douala
Instructors
*Mahmoud Hammami - Tunisia (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Diori Maiga Seidou - Niger (Infrastructure)
*Dominique Niyonzima - Burundi (Sporting)
RWANDA
24-25 July 2015; Kigali
Instructors
*Seydou Sow - Mali (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Samson Adamu - Nigeria (Infrastructure)
*Sockeng Etienne - Cameroon (Sporting)
TOGO
28-29 July 2015; Lome
Instructors
*Roger Bokanianga – DR Congo (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Moussa Konate – Mali (Infrastructure)
*Joseph Kabore - Burkina Faso (Sporting)
GHANA
26-27 August 2015; Accra
Instructors
* Kabelo Bosilong - South Africa (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Paul Bassey - Nigeria (Infrastructure)
*William Kapukare - Namibia (Sporting)
NIGERIA
27-28 August 2015; Abuja
Instructors
*George Kasengele - Zambia (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Anthony Baffoe - Ghana (Infrastructure)
*Dominique Niyonzima - Burundi (Sporting)
SENEGAL
14-15 September 2015; Dakar
Instructors
*Nadir Bouzenad – Algeria (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Khaled Lemkecher – Tunisia (Infrastructure)
*Wahid Mnif – Tunisia (Sporting)
GABON
16-17 September 2015; Libreville
Instructors
*Mahmoud Hammami – Tunisia (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Hicham Guirat – Tunisia (Infrastructure)
*Jamal Lahrache – Morocco (Sporting)
SAO TOME & PRINCIPE
17-18 September 2015; Sao Tome
Instructors
* Dogbevi Koffi – Togo (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Ahmed Bensekrane – Algeria (Infrastructure)
*Amsatou Fall - Senegal (Sporting)
Since then a lot of brainstorming has been done at the continental level regarding the implementation of the system, expected to revolutionise club football. Set to be the guiding principle and requirement for the participation into the major CAF Club Championships including the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, its objective include but no limited to;
-The promoting and improving of the quality and the level of all football aspects in Africa;
- Ensuring that the clubs have the appropriate infrastructure, knowledge and application in respect of management and organisation;
- Adapting and improving the clubs sporting infrastructure;
- Improving the economic and financial capacity of clubs, through proper corporate governance and control;
- Ensuring and guaranteeing the continuity of international competitions of clubs during the season.
Meeting the above objectives hinges strongly on the five criteria for Club Licensing namely Sporting, Infrastructure, Administrative, Financial and Legal with the support of the panel of CAF Club Licensing instructors to verify the established procedure and also facilitate its organisation.
The CAF Executive Committee at its meeting in Cairo, Egypt on 16 May 2011 approved the recommendations of the Interclubs Committee that tasked member associations to adhere to the required criteria for an effective implementation of club licensing in Africa.
And it was not long that CAF hit the ground running with a seminar on the sidelines of the third edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Cape Town, South Africa on 30-31 January 2014 attended by various stakeholders and officials of some renowned clubs drawn from the CAF Zones.
Clubs that took part in the historic seminar which had in attendance FIFA President, Joseph Sepp Blatter and CAF President, Issa Hayatou included AS Vita, TP Mazembe (DR Congo); Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa); ES Setif, JS Kabylie (Algeria); AC Leopards, Diables Noirs (Congo), Zesco United (Zambia); Diambars, Diaraf (Senegal); Esperance, Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia); ASEC Mimosas, Africa Sports (Cote d’Ivoire); Kano Pillars, Enyimba (Nigeria) and Al Ahly, Zamalek (Egypt).
The rest are Coton Sport, Canan Yaounde (Cameroon); Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak (Ghana); El Merreikh, El Hilal (Sudan); Saint-George (Ethiopia); Stade Malien, Djoliba (Mali); Raja Athletic Club, Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco); US Bitam (Gabon); ASFA Yennenga (Burkina Faso); AS Kaloum, Horoya (Guinea), Gor Mahia (Kenya); Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) and Dynamos (Zimbabwe).
Ever since, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge with the selection of the panel of instructors and climaxed with the organisation of two seminar early this year, one by FIFA and the other by CAF to pave way for the organisation of the seminars for the national associations.
In addition, three countries namely Algeria, Ghana and South Africa were selected for a pilot project to gather and exchange ideas for the national seminars.
Amongst the objectives for the seminars at the national level include Review of the club licensing system and regulations; Review on the progress for each criteria (Sporting, Infrastructure, Administrative, Finance and Legal); Identification of main challenges, Forster communication of concern amongst key stakeholders and the establishment of an overall roadmap for at least three years.
Whilst every national association is expected to organise a seminar at the local level, others have taken the lead with Ethiopia, the first from 16-17 July in Addis Ababa.
Cameroon and Rwanda were next, 24-25 July in Douala and Kigali respectively; Togo had its turn from 28-29 July in Lome; Ghana from 25-27 in Accra and Nigeria between 26 and 28 July in Abuja.
Senegal was from 14-15 September in Dakar; Gabon from 16-17 September in Libreville and Sao Tome & Principe from 17-18 September.
Each national seminar was coordinated by three instructors from the panel.
ETHIOPIA
16-17 July 2015; Addis Ababa
Instructors
*Poobalan Govindasamy - South Africa (Administrative, Legal and Financial)
*Sue Destombes - South Africa (Infrastructure)
*Masud Didi Draman from Ghana (Sporting)
CAMEROON
24-25 July 2015, Douala
Instructors
*Mahmoud Hammami - Tunisia (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Diori Maiga Seidou - Niger (Infrastructure)
*Dominique Niyonzima - Burundi (Sporting)
RWANDA
24-25 July 2015; Kigali
Instructors
*Seydou Sow - Mali (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Samson Adamu - Nigeria (Infrastructure)
*Sockeng Etienne - Cameroon (Sporting)
TOGO
28-29 July 2015; Lome
Instructors
*Roger Bokanianga – DR Congo (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Moussa Konate – Mali (Infrastructure)
*Joseph Kabore - Burkina Faso (Sporting)
GHANA
26-27 August 2015; Accra
Instructors
* Kabelo Bosilong - South Africa (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Paul Bassey - Nigeria (Infrastructure)
*William Kapukare - Namibia (Sporting)
NIGERIA
27-28 August 2015; Abuja
Instructors
*George Kasengele - Zambia (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Anthony Baffoe - Ghana (Infrastructure)
*Dominique Niyonzima - Burundi (Sporting)
SENEGAL
14-15 September 2015; Dakar
Instructors
*Nadir Bouzenad – Algeria (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Khaled Lemkecher – Tunisia (Infrastructure)
*Wahid Mnif – Tunisia (Sporting)
GABON
16-17 September 2015; Libreville
Instructors
*Mahmoud Hammami – Tunisia (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Hicham Guirat – Tunisia (Infrastructure)
*Jamal Lahrache – Morocco (Sporting)
SAO TOME & PRINCIPE
17-18 September 2015; Sao Tome
Instructors
* Dogbevi Koffi – Togo (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Ahmed Bensekrane – Algeria (Infrastructure)
*Amsatou Fall - Senegal (Sporting)
By: Cafonline.com
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