4-day CAF Club Licensing regional workshop underway in Accra
A Four-Day Confederation of African Football (CAF) Club Licensing Regional Workshop to provide an update on the use of the Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP) for Club Licensing procedure.
It will also provide a platform for member associations to share best practices, implementation methods, successes, and challenges and discuss the next steps regarding the club licensing system.
Fifteen CAF-member countries including Ghana are participating plus clubs in the Ghana Premier League, the Division One League, and the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League.
The Accra workshop is the final lap of the CAF Regional Club Licensing Workshops, following those in Mauritania, Algeria, and Ethiopia.
Opening the workshop on Monday, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, underscored the crucial role club licensing plays in the advancement of football development on the continent, which for him is a key element of the developmental agenda of CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe.
According to him, the CAF president believes Africa must develop football in the best possible way, and the club licensing route was the surest way to go.
He said licensing drives professionalism and improves the quality of administration, coaching, and overall club management.
According to him, club licensing has become a key part of the continent’s developmental agenda, the reason for his happiness over the Accra hosting of the workshop.
The GFA boss called for a collective efforts from stakeholders, noting that together, all can achieve the goals of the system and enhance the quality of football across the African continent.
The Head of Professional Football at CAF, Muhammed Sidat, said the club licensing platform was here to stay and called on member countries to adjust to the new way of working online.
“We are not testing the system; it is here to stay. The club licensing process for the inter-club 2024/25 season is already open, which means all federations and clubs intending to participate in the CAF Inter Club competitions will have to complete the licensing process online; no more paper or fax issues.”
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
