With CAF having announced the formation of the African Club Association, the question that needs to be asked is: Is it really necessary?
The hierarchy of the recently developed organisation includes Kaizer Chiefs marketing and commercial director Jessica Motaung, who will serve as the first vice-president to Hersi Said.
Read: OFFICIAL: Motaung named as CAF confirms ACA leadership
The appointments were announced on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt, at the inaugural meeting that was chaired by Dr Patrice Motsepe who, according to a statement by CAF, "saw a need for African Football Clubs to have a platform and a structure where they can have a voice in African football".
While it's all good and well to try to improve the conditions of African football across the continent, why did another association have to be formed when CAF are regarded as the custodian or caretakers of football in the vast land?
As FIFA states on its website, it "exists to govern football and to develop the game around the world". Meanwhile, CAF states that its efforts may focus on "ongoing efforts of aiding and giving support to all its 54 Member Associations".
The organisation said in a statement: "The African Club Association aims to bring together stakeholders from across the African football landscape, fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence within the continent's club football scene."
Is that not what CAF is supposed to do as a part of the support offered to the various companies under the association?
It feels as though the federation has made such a big fuss over essentially creating a marketing department.
The other objectives of the ACA include:
- Protecting and promoting the interest of African Football Clubs
- Ensuring that African Football Clubs are commercially viable, globally competitive and profitable
- Ensuring that Referees, Match Commissioners and VAR operators are respected, credible, independent and world-class
- Building partnerships with sponsors, the private sector and Governments to build stadiums that comply with CAF and FIFA standards and other football infrastructure and facilities in each of the 54 CAF Member Associations
- Developing African youth talent, academies for Boys and Girls and improve the quality of African Club football to be world class.
Given Africa's notorious history with corruption, whether it's in politics or sports, a new organisation that is tasked with doing something the initial organisation is already supposed to be doing could potentially raise some eyebrows, and makes it hard to comprehend when you take a step back to really look at the issue.
It just creates some confusion about who becomes responsible for what, which seems to be becoming a common trend on the continent. For example, look at Nigeria. The Nigerian Football Federation and the country's ministry of sports being involved in the national team has created immense confusion. The current Super Eagles manager, Jose Peseiro, was reportedly appointed by the ministry but is disliked by the NFF hierarchy. However, they cannot remove him from the post because they are said to not have the funds to do so.
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It serves as an example of when two entities are involved in a job that can be done by one, confusion arises. Not only between the two, but among the public as well.
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