African Stars’ chairman Salomo Hei has hailed the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the African Club Association (ACA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), saying it will bring significant benefits to African clubs.
The agreement was signed in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday by CAF president Patrice Motsepe and ACA chairman Hersi Said.
It strengthens the partnership between the two organisations, and formalises key strategic objectives to improve club football across the continent.
Hei emphasised that the agreement marks a crucial step forward for clubs, particularly in giving them a stronger voice within CAF.
“It’s indeed a major milestone since the establishment of ACA. Clubs now have a voice in how their welfare is handled and can participate in key decision-making processes at CAF level, especially regarding club competitions,” Hei said.
ACA has also commended Motsepe for increasing financial support for club football. One key initiative is the US$50 000 solidarity fee given to all clubs that participated in the preliminary rounds of the CAF Interclub competitions – a first-of-its-kind financial relief.
Stars benefitted from this funding after competing in the CAF Champions League preliminary round. Hei believes the MoU will ensure continued financial support for clubs participating in CAF tournaments.
“This agreement further strengthens the financial support clubs receive for participating in competitions like the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. It’s a step in the right direction and reinforces the importance of proper structuring and running of clubs,” he added.
The CAF-ACA agreement is expected to reshape African club football by providing teams more resources, representation, and financial stability in their quest for continental success.
ACA was launched in November 2023 with Motsepe’s support, and recently announced plans to set up offices at the world-class King Mohammed VI National Football Academy in Sale, Morocco.
The association also seeks to ensure players benefit from suitable education opportunities throughout their sporting careers, and to promote fair play as well as fight racism, doping, violence, match-fixing and corruption in football.
CAF and ACA want to ensure national team and club football provides substantial benefits to players, clubs, leagues and member associations, and foster a closer working relationship.
They also resolved that sports-related disputes shall be resolved within appropriate structures; and that strong national championships and international competitions organised by CAF are vital for the ongoing and healthy development of football.
-Additional reporting from caf.online.com
-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na