Besides some top-drawer performances on the pitch, the Africa Cup of Nations (CAF) executives have also been dishing out surprises and revolutionary announcements that will see the sport on the continent grow and take its seat at the top table of global football.
After announcing a 43% increment in prize money last week, CAF and its billionaire businessman president Patrice Motsepe were not finished. They have now launched an exciting new African Nations League.
And they also gave guarantees that CAF will host a world class Senior National Team Competition in Africa, every year. The best African football players, who play in the best Football Leagues in the world, will participate. CAF will partner with Fifa on the African Nations League.
According to the continent’s football mother body, during the year of the Fifa World Cup, the nine or 10 African Senior National Teams that have qualified for the World Cup will focus and prepare for the World Cup. And there will not be an African Senior National Team competition.
CAF member countries to score big
Said Motsepe: “We are excited about the new changes that we have introduced. And which will make African Senior National Team Competitions amongst the best in the World. With the best African football players who play in the best Leagues in the world participating every year in Africa’s Senior National Team Competitions.
“During the year of the Fifa World Cup, CAF will not host an African Senior National Team Competition. This to enable the nine or 10 African countries that will be in the World Cup, to focus on preparing for it.
“The new changes will also result in significant financial and commercial benefits for each of the Football Federations. Those that represent the 54 African countries that are members of CAF.”
Motsepe explained further that the competition will result in all 54 CAF member countries each getting a whopping $1-million (R17-million) every year.
Training, developing young African players
“The restructuring of the CAF Senior National Team Competitions and the $1-billion tender that we have initiated will enable CAF to contribute $1-million, every year to each of the 54 CAF member associations.
“This is five times more than the $200, 000 (R3,4-million) which each member association used to receive before the current CAF leadership was introduced. We will allocate a substantial financial and other resources to training and developing young … football players. As this is amongst the best investment we can make for the future of African Football,” he added.
Motsepe also mentioned the need to synchronise and align the football calendar with Fifa.
“Another important benefit of the restructuring and the new changes in African Senior National Team Competitions is the synchronisation of football fixtures worldwide. We have been working with Fifa and other stakeholders on this matter.
Alignment with players based overseas
“This alignment or synchronisation will benefit CAF and African football players who play in the best football leagues worldwide. We want to ensure that African football players do not find themselves (as has often been the case) in the calendar or fixture conflict between their clubs and their National Teams.
“The new changes were also introduced after on-going discussions with CAF’s sponsors, partners and other stakeholders. I am confident that African football will benefit enormously from the new changes that we are introducing. I am also pleased to announce that the CAF Champions League and Confederations’ Cup will receive increased prize monies. This will be announced after the Morocco Afcon,” he added.
