March 30 – A group of eight African domestic leagues have formalised a new platform aimed at closer coordination across the club game, with the launch of ‘African Leagues’ under the umbrella of the World Leagues Association (WLA).
The new association was formalised at a meeting in Cairo on March 28, bringing together the top leagues from Algeria, Botswana, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Both in-person and remote participants signed off on a ‘Declaration of Principles’, committing to a more unified approach to the development of professional football structures across the continent.
Ahmed Deiab, president of the Egypt pro league, has been appointed chair, with a mandate to guide the initiative and represent the collective interests of its members. The African Leagues will operate as a regional division of the WLA, aiming to give African competitions a more formalised presence within the global leagues network and a bigger voice on their own continental and global stage.
The group’s priorities are strengthening domestic competitions, improving governance standards and encouraging greater collaboration between leagues that have traditionally operated almost completely independently.
Four task forces have been established to drive that work – Zimbabwe’s Premier Soccer League will lead on membership matters, South Africa’s Premier Soccer League will oversee competitions, while Egypt’s Pro League will head up social dialogue. A fourth group, focused on development, will be coordinated alongside the WLA with input from all participating leagues.
The new body will engage with key stakeholders including the CAF, FIFPRO Africa and the International Labour Organisation, particularly through a regional office in Cairo.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]