
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.
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;
- 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.
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).
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.
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.
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 (Sporting)
NIGERIA
27-28 August 2015; Abuja
Instructors
*George Kasengele - Zambia (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Anthony Baffoe - Ghana (Infrastructure)
*Dominique Niyonzima - Burundi (Sporting)
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)
17-18 September 2015; Sao-Tome
Instructors
*Dogbevi Koffi - Togo (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Ahmed Bensekrane - Algeria (Infrastructure)
*Amasatou Fall - Senegal (Sporting)
SUDAN
5-6 October 2015; Khartoum
Instructors
*Poobalan Govindasamy – South Africa (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Ian McLeod – South Africa (Infrastructure)
*Francis Akenteng - Ghana (Sporting)
ALGERIA
5-6 October 2015; Algiers
Instructors
*Roger Bokanianga – DR Congo (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Souleymane Magassouba - Mali (Infrastructure)
*Zouita Saghir - Tunisia (Sporting)
LIBERIA
16-17 October 2015; Monrovia
Instructors
*Amanze Uchegbulam - Nigeria (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Bolaji Ojo-Oba - Nigeria (Infrastructure)
*Sunday Kayuni - Tanzania (Sporting)
SWAZILAND
27-28 October 2015; Mbabane
Instructors
*Kabelo Bosilong – South Africa (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Barry Rukoro - Namibia (Infrastructure)
CHAD
29-30 October 2015; N’djamena
Instructors
*Roger Bokanianga – DR Congo (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Moussa Konate - Mali (Infrastructure)
*Taoufik Korichi - Burundi (Sporting)
SOUTH SUDAN
30-31 October 2015; Juba
Instructors
*Boniface Mwamelo - Zambia (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Mohamed Gremida - Libya (Infrastructure)
ANGOLA
3-4 November 2015; Luanda
Instructors
*George Kasengele - Zambia (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Russel Paul – South Africa (Infrastructure)
*Honor Janza - Zambia (Sporting)
CONGO
8-9 October 2015; Brazzaville
Instructors
*Pierre Gondo – Cote d’Ivoire (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Ahmed Bensekrane - Algeria (Infrastructure)
*Dominique Niyonzima - Burundi (Sporting)
TANZANIA
24-25 November 2015; Dar-es-Salam
Instructors
*Amanze Uchegbulam - Nigeria (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Bolaji Ojo-Oba - Nigeria (Infrastructure)
*Moatasim Osman - Sudan (Sporting)
MALAWI
24-25 November 2015; Limbe
Instructors
*Dennis Mumble – South Africa (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Susan Destombes – South Africa (Infrastructure)
*Masudi Didi Dramani - Ghana (Sporting)
15-16 December 2015; Gaborone
Instructors
*Suzgo Nyirenda - Malawi (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Kawemba Byemba - Tanzania (Infrastructure)
*Honor Janza - Zambia (Sporting)
MALI
16-17 December 2015; Bamako
Instructors
*Nadir Bouzenad - Algeria (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Saidou Diori Maiga - Niger (Infrastructure)
*Wahid Mnif - Tunisia (Sporting)
MADAGASCAR
17-18 December 2015; Antananarivo
Instructors
*Roger Bokanianga – DR Congo (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Souleymane Magassouba - Mali (Infrastructure)
*Zouita Saghir - Tunisia (Sporting)
NIGER
17-18 December 2015; Niamey
Instructors
*Jeremie Manirakiza – Djibouti (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Djibril Traore - Mali (Infrastructure)
*Joseph Kabore – Burkina Faso (Sporting)
ZAMBIA
20-21 December 2015; Lusaka
Instructors
*Poobalan Govindasamy – South Africa (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Barry Rukoro - Namibia (Infrastructure)
*Willem Kapukare - Namibia (Sporting)
COMOROS
22-23 December 2015; Moroni
Instructors
*Tombi Roko Sidiki – Cameroon (Administrative, Legal and Finance)
*Ismael Locate - Reunion (Infrastructure)
*Amsatou Fall - Senegal (Sporting)