October 22 – Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has again called for the launch of an African Super League on the continent.
“The super league for Africa is a new competition because all of those other competitions are locked into agreements and the money they get is not enough,” said Motsepe (pictured), speaking at a news conference in Ghana.
“There have to be fundamental changes in how we do things in football so that African football can be noticed across the world. We do not want aid from anybody. We can work on our own and that’s what I am here to do.”
Under Motsepe, African football has been accelerating plans for its own continental super league. CAF’s executive committee has debated the plans and the organisation’s inter-club committee led by Ahmed Yahya from Mauritania is developing a blueprint for the super league. Motsepe has also repeatedly stated that CAF is in talks with various broadcasters, who have expressed an interest in the new competition.
Emboldened by the support of FIFA supremo Gianni Infantino, Motsepe and his executive board believe Africa can succeed where Europe failed. Infantino first mooted the idea in 2019, saying he favoured 20 permanent African super league members plus others who would qualify via regional play-offs.
At the news conference, the CAF president also repeated his support for FIFA’s biennial plans, which won’t go to a vote in December but instead will remain in a consultative phase following Wednesday’s FIFA Council. Motsepe has always been considered a close ally of Infantino, but the CAF president dismissed suggestions that he is a puppet of the FIFA boss.
“Nobody controls Patrice [Motsepe] except the people of Africa,” said Motsepe. “Let me get this out of the way, I don’t need anybody’s money.”
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