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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has made a big hint that the CAF Confederation Cup tournament could be cancelled.
Speaking on the eve of the kick-off of the 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament at the Main Media Centre in Abidjan, in Côte d’Ivoire, Motsepe says the CAFCC could be sacrificed for the more lucrative and financially viable African Football League (AFL) and CAF Champions League (CAFCL).
When the AFL was introduced last year, several well-run national leagues around the continent complained about the threat of the AFL to their competitions.
Motsepe says the CAFCC could face the chop.
"You've got to look at the African Football League within the context of what we are trying to achieve. Let me immediately start with what is not possible, you've got to be careful that you don't have the football players playing too many fixtures, too many matches and the other thing is you must also not undermine the professional football leagues in Africa," Motsepe said.
"So, I understand when some of the professional leagues are worried about African football. My family spends a hell of a lot of money since I'm the CAF president I had to take several steps away. So, we do want the professional football leagues in Africa to succeed and the clubs to make money.
"So, we want to get the Champions League and the African Football League to make them more commercially viable and make sure that the clubs make money out of them but the other thing that's very important as well is we may have to have the Confederations Cup canceled. We can't have too many competitions."
After the AFL became an instant success with only eight teams taking part in the pilot season, the second edition is set to have 22 teams and possibly play the whole season. As the talk intensifies around the cancellation of the CAFCC, a tournament that has previously been treated as a poor cousin to the more lucrative CAFCL by some South African clubs, Motsepe is clear that they are looking at competitions that will bring more revenue to CAF.
"I wasn't gonna cancel The CHAN, this was one of the suggestions I was given by our advisors and the same applies to the Confederations Cup. We cannot and we will not have too many competitions. At this stage, it's just like the question that Mark Glisson was asking, 'What are you going to do with the date for the AFCON', you have to engage and make sure you get the best advisor and do what's in the best interest for African football,” Motsepe added.
“The Champions League is excellent and we want to protect and promote it. I deliberately didn't put the price money of the AFL, make it more than the Champions League because I didn't want to create a perception that at this stage immediately the AFL is above the Champions League but I'm clear, I'm not making money from the Champions League.
I need the money to give to the member associations. I need the money for academies, for football development to help with transport and the same with the CHAN."
