Cosafa has come out talking tough on issues including breaking the West African stronghold on African football‚ allocation of major tournaments‚ especially the Africa Cup of Nations‚ and ensuring the region’s place at the World Cup table.
In the wake of the election of one of their own‚ Ahmad Ahmad‚ as Caf president in Ethiopia last month‚ breaking a 28-year reign by Cameroonian Issa Hayatou‚ the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations is asking for a fairer seat at Africa’s football table.
These were issues discussed by Cosafa in Johannesburg this week at a meeting attended by former Madagascar sports minister Ahmad.
SA Football Association president Danny Jordaan‚ elected to the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee in Addis Ababa‚ said Cosafa will look for for a level playing field from Caf‚ previously seen as being dominated on policy by West Africa.
“I think when we discuss as Cosafa‚ under the leadership of our president‚ Mr Phillip Chiyangwa‚ it’s to celebrate the unity in Cosafa as a first step‚” Jordaan said.
“In my own experience‚ it’s the first time in the history of Cosafa that Cosafa voted as a block of 14 members.
“So the commitment to see change on the continent was a common commitment among all of us. That means there was intense debate among the Cosafa leaders.
“One of the obvious things that were raised was that Cosafa was not a major player in Africa football.
“Out of 290 members serving on Caf committees only 29 came from Cosafa. Out of the competitions allocated‚ and you may have seen the Afcon‚ 2015 was in Equatorial Guinea‚ 2017 in Gabon‚ 2019 (will be in) in Cameroon‚ 2021 Ivory Coast and 2023 Guinea.
“All of those have been allocated to a particular region on the continent (West Africa). Even the junior competitions have been allocated on that basis.
“And what we have discussed as Cosafa is that it must be football first‚ technical and football requirements and the overall interested of Africa must be served.
“And I’m very happy that we were agreed on that in principle in the meeting.”
Another matter was the expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams‚ meaning a possible increase from five to nine slots for Africa.
“As Cosafa we need to make sure we engage vigorously in that debate to make sure that Cosafa gets its fair share‚” Jordaan said.
“Positions in Caf‚ Fifa committees‚ junior football‚ women’s football‚ World Cup – we want to see significant changes to express the interests of Cosafa. Because Cosafa is sending two teams to the (Fifa) U-20 World Cup in Korea (in May).
“So I’m looking forward to the first Caf meeting to raise these matters on behalf of Cosafa.”
Ahmad shocked Hayatou by 34 votes to 20 in Caf’s presidential elections at their annual congress on March 16.
Cosafa talks tough on breaking West African stronghold on Caf after Hayatou’s defeat
Cosafa has come out talking tough on issues including breaking the West African stronghold on African football‚ allocation of major tournaments‚ especially the Africa Cup of Nations‚ and ensuring the region’s place at the World Cup table.
In the wake of the election of one of their own‚ Ahmad Ahmad‚ as Caf president in Ethiopia last month‚ breaking a 28-year reign by Cameroonian Issa Hayatou‚ the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations is asking for a fairer seat at Africa’s football table.
These were issues discussed by Cosafa in Johannesburg this week at a meeting attended by former Madagascar sports minister Ahmad.
SA Football Association president Danny Jordaan‚ elected to the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee in Addis Ababa‚ said Cosafa will look for for a level playing field from Caf‚ previously seen as being dominated on policy by West Africa.
“I think when we discuss as Cosafa‚ under the leadership of our president‚ Mr Phillip Chiyangwa‚ it’s to celebrate the unity in Cosafa as a first step‚” Jordaan said.
“In my own experience‚ it’s the first time in the history of Cosafa that Cosafa voted as a block of 14 members.
“So the commitment to see change on the continent was a common commitment among all of us. That means there was intense debate among the Cosafa leaders.
“One of the obvious things that were raised was that Cosafa was not a major player in Africa football.
“Out of 290 members serving on Caf committees only 29 came from Cosafa. Out of the competitions allocated‚ and you may have seen the Afcon‚ 2015 was in Equatorial Guinea‚ 2017 in Gabon‚ 2019 (will be in) in Cameroon‚ 2021 Ivory Coast and 2023 Guinea.
“All of those have been allocated to a particular region on the continent (West Africa). Even the junior competitions have been allocated on that basis.
“And what we have discussed as Cosafa is that it must be football first‚ technical and football requirements and the overall interested of Africa must be served.
“And I’m very happy that we were agreed on that in principle in the meeting.”
Another matter was the expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams‚ meaning a possible increase from five to nine slots for Africa.
“As Cosafa we need to make sure we engage vigorously in that debate to make sure that Cosafa gets its fair share‚” Jordaan said.
“Positions in Caf‚ Fifa committees‚ junior football‚ women’s football‚ World Cup – we want to see significant changes to express the interests of Cosafa. Because Cosafa is sending two teams to the (Fifa) U-20 World Cup in Korea (in May).
“So I’m looking forward to the first Caf meeting to raise these matters on behalf of Cosafa.”
Ahmad shocked Hayatou by 34 votes to 20 in Caf’s presidential elections at their annual congress on March 16.
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