The time has come for African club soccer to move to the next level – FIFA President Gianni Infantino
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called for more investments in African club soccer. This, he believes, will ensure that talented players do not rush to Europe and other parts of the world for better contracts.
Infantino who made the call at the grand finale of the inaugural African Football League (AFL), said the creation of the AFL has made a positive contribution to world soccer after seeing South African side Mamelodi Sundowns beat Wydad Athletic of Morocco to win the maiden AFL trophy.
“I think the time has come for African club football to move to the next level, to retain some of the best players [so] that they don’t have to go on and sign contracts abroad – they can stay here and they can play in a top-level competition, which is not only Pan-African but which is also shown that it has an impact all over the world”, the FIFA President noted.
Infantino added that the AFL has come to stay, and it will grow to have an impact on the continent.
“This is here to give hopes and dreams to the entire African population in Africa and to the world population around the world.
“This is what African football needs – the best playing together more often in a top, top, top professional environment. That’s what we are doing with the African Football League. I’m very proud of this collaboration between FIFA and CAF.”
After attending the competition’s opening fixture in Tanzania last month, Infantino was at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, to see the Sundowns win 2-0 to overturn their 2-1 first- leg deficit to their heavyweight Moroccan opponents and become the first team to lift the AFL trophy.
As part of his trip to South Africa, the FIFA President paid a courtesy call on the country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa. He was accompanied by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Patrice Motsepe.
