7 October – This letter, sent to members of the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and circulated to member associations, raises concerns among African national associations about the future of CAF and its governance rights in Africa. caused fear. A unique soccer ecosystem within Africa.
The letter urges African leaders to “not be accomplices in the disappearance of CAF” and that they have been “deceived” by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and that the CAF Super League has no reliable and sustainable income. It warns that it will only cannibalize African countries. CAF Champions League and CAF Cup.
African football member nations and their representatives have been warned not to “take part in suicide."
In African football, FIFA’s dominant administrative presence on the continent and the dismal failure to launch new competitions while existing competitions lose revenue and status could spell the end of CAF. This sentiment is rapidly increasing.
Then Africans would no longer govern their own game on their own continent through their own elected representatives. Many believe that this is already the case, and that FIFA’s strong-willed leadership has committed Africa’s They claim that the country’s independence and right to govern itself is being suppressed.
FIFA’s presence in Africa has grown from the now-disgraced election of Ahmad Ahmad as CAF President, which FIFA enjoyed huge support, to the subsequent disastrous appointment of former FIFA Secretary-General, to the continent’s Under the Infantino FIFA administration, which created an inventory of inappropriate interventions in FIFA, has been actively felt. the appointment of Fatma Samoura as a kind of special envoy to the continent; the long-term failure to find a financially equivalent or better deal to replace Mr. Lagardere’s marketing contract, which was terminated by order of FIFA; better commercials; The unfulfilled promise of centralization of domestic broadcasting rights and, more recently, the inability to launch a vibrant and sustainable Super League on the continent.
The letter, sent to all senior African football officials and seen by Inside World Football through the CAF Executive Committee, was written by African media consultant and football commentator Mamadou Gay.
“What is happening today is even worse,” the letter said, referring to a lawsuit brought against former CAF president Isa Hayatou for not offering Lagardere a contract in favor of private negotiations. “The negotiations (for sponsorship of the CAF Super League) were unilateral.” The presence of Infantino and Motsepe (CAF president Patrice Motsepe) was merely symbolic. ”
Regarding sponsorship negotiations, Gay said: “The public offering has not yet begun and will simply be a matter of symbolic validation of the contracts already concluded by the current executive committee, without giving any financial details or even formal commitments.” This agreement will remain in place long-term, even if the exceptional sponsor withdraws. ”
Gay warned: “Super League will cannibalize the CAF Champions League and the CAF Cup, which will be worthless in a year or two.”
“And if Super League is not maintained for at least five years, CAF will have no financially viable competition and Infantino will already be retiring.
“We only have eyes to cry with.”
Mr Gay said: “Legal action may be taken against Motsepe, his executive committee and Mosengo Beron, just as in the case of Hayatou today.”
“I don’t think Infantino will take any risks because he hasn’t signed anything or officially approved anything.”
“And CAF will disappear, because on top of the current severe financial crisis, the final blow with Super League will be fatal for CAF.”
Gay tells Africans to “wake up. The future of African football, run by Africans, is in mortal danger.” He said CAF should not be used in a personal war between Infantino and UEFA over the creation of the Super League, which Infantino had privately supported in Europe but had to disavow publicly. claims.
“This fight of Infantino is not ours, so let’s not accept to become his guinea pigs with the disappearance of CAF,” Gay says.
“Members of the executive committee, presidents of the respective federations, and the men and women of African freedom, please act before it is too late to ensure that history does not remember you as complicit in the suicide of African football and CAF.”
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