By: Francis Ofori
Accra, May 23, GNA – The Confederation of African Football (CAF), together with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) have pledged their commitment to make the newly introduced Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP) a success.
The continent’s football governing body engaged Member Associations on a three-day training which ended on Wednesday to discuss the goals regarding the Club Licensing System.
Mr. Prosper Harrison Addo, General Secretary of the GFA in his address at the closing ceremony said “Club Licensing is the single most important tool that can change the game. Here in Ghana, we have been on a journey, and I am glad that we are now at the stage where we can do this online.
It is a tedious work, but when you go through it successfully, you would appreciate that it can, and will change the game”.
He expressed excitement with the level of enthusiasm shown in adapting to the new system despite the challenges faced.
He urged Member Associations to make good use of the workshop which was a stepping stone towards developing professional football in Africa.
Mr. Addo said in other to contribute to the growth of the sport, it was also important for various representatives to use networking as a tool in making this dream possible.
“I must thank CAF for the opportunity to host the final leg as we have the unique chance to close the entire series of workshops started weeks ago in other jurisdictions. We must thank the participants for their enthusiasm. We also thank all the organisers and instructors”, he said.
Mr. Mohammed Sidat, Head of Professional Football at CAF, commemded the effort of the football fraternity in finalizing the Club Licensing Online Platform which was launched in 2022.
“We want to encourage the federations not to wait for next year to come because the system is opened. You have the task to implement this at national level”, he said.
He said CAF was ready to support clubs and federations overcome the challenges ahead.
The workshop, held in Ghana, is the final lap of the CAF Regional Club Licensing Workshops, following successful events in Mauritania, Algeria, and Ethiopia.
CLOP is an electronic tool system designed to manage the licensing process and stadium inspections for continental and domestic competitions.
Member Associations who participated in the workshop included Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, Liberia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé e Príncipe.
GNA