The General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Prosper Harrison Addo, has closed a three-day CAF Regional Club Licensing Workshop in Accra, urging knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas as part of efforts to improve the game in Africa.
In his closing remarks to the 15 Member Associations (MA's) of CAF who participated in the Workshop at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra on Wednesday May 22, 2024, the Chief Executive of the GFA, admonished the participants to draw from the experiences of the Club Licensing Managers across the continent to enhance their work.
The three-day workshop delved into the Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP), which is set to become operational in the 2024/2025 Season.
"Club Licensing is the single most important tool that can change the game. Here in Ghana, we've been on a journey and I'm glad that we're now at the stage where we can do this online. It's a tedious work, but when you go through it successfully, you will appreciate that it can, and will change the game," Prosper Harrison Addo said in his closing remarks.
"However, it is not an event! It is a process so I will urge that we pursue its implementation on a continuing basis; continuous improvement year in and year out, and together we'll build the professional game in Africa.
He expressed his gratitude to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the opportunity to host the final leg of the workshop in Ghana.
"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 reserved special praise for Sidat Mohammed, the man in charge of Professional Football at CAF for his enviable commitment to the Club Licensing regime.
"Sidat, your commitment to this journey is very commendable and highly appreciated. It's a very difficult role and I am sure participants can attest to dealing with issues of club licensing at our various federations. We owe you a great deal of debt in terms of the exercise undertaken during this three-day workshop. Thank you so much for the work and enterprise you've put into the African game and may we never forget your commitment to the game."
"As we depart here, I want to encourage you that you will face challenges along the way but remain steadfast in your pursuit of excellence. You have to be firm and be strong. You have to understand that the challenges are not country-specific. They cut across several countries so remain resolute."
"The uniqueness of attending a workshop like this is to build a network. A network that you can rely on when challenges arise in your country. Let's tap into the human resources available to us to solve problems. Let's improve on networking so we can share knowledge and together, we can build the African game''.
"On behalf of CAF, the President of the Ghana Football Association and the Executive Council and on your own behalf, I hereby declare the workshop for Ghana duly closed."
The workshop in Ghana is the final lap of the CAF Regional Club Licensing Workshops, following successful events in Mauritania, Algeria, and Ethiopia.
The general objectives of the workshop are to train users for the Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP), present the CAF Club Licensing regulatory framework (2022 edition) for men and women as well as to discuss the mandatory criteria for domestic and continental competitions.
The 15 Member Associations that attended the workshop included host, Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, Liberia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé e Príncipe.
GFA Communications