Bafana Bafana legend Lucas Radebe has now shared his thoughts on the continent's new flagship tournament, the African Football League.
The former Leeds United defender was speaking at the UEFA Europa League trophy showcase at the VA Waterfront, Cape Town, when he revealed his belief that the competition will have a good impact on African football.
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"I think that's one thing we've been trying to create, especially in terms of having the influx of African players playing abroad," Radebe told Kick Off.
"We can see. Look at the Africa Cup of Nations. It's very competitive now; competitive because we have a lot of African players playing in Europe and we see them week in, week out competing for these kind of competitions, which is brilliant."
He added that bringing the UEL trophy to South Africa would inspire a lot of teams as well as "youngsters and aspiring footballers to want to get that level", which will be beneficial to the national team.
The inaugural AFL showpiece kicked off earlier this month, with teams competing for silverware as well the lucrative $4 million (R76 million) in prize money on offer.
The competition is also aimed at transforming club football on the continent and making its teams more competitive on a global scale, both commercially and on the pitch, as CAF president Dr Patrice Motsepe stated.
"The most important thing for African football is we have to win on the field of play. African football will only get the recognition, the respect it deserves by winning on the field of play," Motsepe said at the unveiling of the AFL trophy.
"The African Football League is one of the most important partnerships, foundations that is going to make a huge contribution to make sure that African football is globally competitive."
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