Ghana Football Association, President Kurt Okraku, has emphasized the crucial role of club licensing in advancing football development in the country.
He made these remarks on the first day of the Club Licensing workshop held in Accra, which is part of a continent-wide initiative following similar sessions in Mauritania, Algeria, and Ethiopia.
The primary objectives of the workshop include updating participants on the use of the Club Licensing Online Platform for managing the club licensing process and reviewing the implementation status of the Club Licensing system within national competitions of Member Associations.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will hold a four day Club Licensing Regional Workshop at the Kempinski Hotel, Gold Coast City Accra from Monday, May 20 to Thursday, May 24, 2024.https://t.co/W9hu5jUg57
— 🇬🇭 Ghana Football Association (@ghanafaofficial) May 20, 2024
During his address, Kurt Okraku underscored that every footballing nation must adopt the club licensing process to ensure the sport is managed properly.
Club licensing has become a key part of our developmental agenda.
And it’s a reason why I’m very happy to be part of this special occasion, which marks the very last call on this long journey that I’ve been taking and that I’ve been led by Mohammed Sadat and his team.
From Mauritania, to Algeria, and to Accra.
Hosting this workshop with our crowd underscores our collective commitment to advancing football in Africa.
Indeed, your presence here today signifies the importance of a mission and our shared vission for the future of the African nation.
This indeed ensures that our clubs meet necessary criteria in areas such as infrastructure, finance, and general public development. Licensing drives professionalism improves the quality of our administration, coaching, like I said earlier, of our own communities.
It is indeed the cornerstone for the development of a sustainable competitive football environment.
The progress of African football relies on our collective efforts and collaboration.
Together, we can achieve the goals of the club licensing system and enhance the quality of football across the African continent.
The Club Licensing Regional Workshop in Accra is taking place under the auspices of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The event, which runs from Monday, May 20 to Thursday, May 24, 2024, is hosted at the Kempinski Hotel, Gold Coast City Accra.
Supervised by Muhammed Sidat, the Head of Professional Football for CAF, the workshop features a distinguished roster of attendees.
These include Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, President of the Ghana Football Association; Prosper Harrison Addo, General Secretary; Dr Kwame Baah Nuakoh, Club Licensing Committee Chairman, along with his Committee Members; and former CAF Deputy General Secretary Anthony Baffoe.
Fifteen Member Associations are participating in the workshop.
These associations represent Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, Eritrea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, and Sao Tome and Principe. Additionally, clubs from the Ghana Premier League, the Division One League, and the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League are also in attendance.