The Wembley Finals Remind Us Of Caf?s Lack Of Vision For The African Game
By Akyereko Frimpong Manson
Twitter: @Akyereko
The Wembley finals remind us of CAF?s petty-visions and expose the cancerous lows and inefficiencies of the monarchical African league style.
And, gave us a glimpse of a football paradise Africa must aspire to emulate from the Europeans.
Basic efficient management of the sport starts at Uefa and trickles down in-situ philosophically to the various wing associations and CAF must revolutionise to match the Euros standard.
In the build-up to Saturday?s Uefa Champions League engrossing final in Wembley, UEFA ? the governing body of the European game, allocated tickets to the German challengers (Bayern Munich and BVB Dortmund) battling to enter the pantheons of the greats.
Dortmund, the eventual vanquished, were allocated 25,000 tickets out of the 90,000 seats available at the English national stadium but 500,000 beer-loving fans from North Rhine-Westphalia and the rest from the various German provinces applied for tickets. A mechanism designed to ensure fair distribution of tickets, there was a raffle.
The heroics of Arjen Robben and the engrossing entertainment witnessed on the Wembley pitch are the results of systems built with philosophies and structural mechanisms devised on sheer beliefs of the sport?s righteousness.
Michel Platini?s rein as the Uefa boss is just eight years old but the institutional commitments ensured since Ebbe Schwartz make failure at the hem almost abominable. The former France captain runs his administration almost above par with Sepp Blatter?s efficiency.
The Uefa Champions League is fast becoming the most important game on the globe while FIFA has been reduced to organising a one-off event in every four years (the World Cup).
The Uefa Champions League is gaining far more prominence than any other sports competition in the world today. Media coverage, betting, advertising, etc provide booming cash boost for clubs participating in the competition.
Last season, Arsenal reaped ?85m from TV and broadcasting from the champions League. The lucrativeness of the competition because of its almost perfect branding and quality attract thousands of sponsors from across the globe.
Africa has fast become one of the biggest centers after Europe. The African child who wears his soccer heart on his sleeves awaits each and every season to learn about the new hero popping up to steal the show.?Lionel Messi?s mystical displays were popularised here in Africa while challenger Cristiano Ronaldo, latter day saints Arjen Robben, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Ribery and Mario Mandzukic have international aggrandisement to amass due to the platform offered by Platini?s superb administrative style.
Qualification to earn a Champions League place is almost a warfare act in Europe?s big league leading to big transfer stories dominating the global headlines.
Last year, when Chelsea lifted the trophy in Munich, Ivorians and Nigerians were in joyous mood as if their countries had lifted the World Cup trophy while Ghanaians saw minimum glory with Michael Essien?s failure to make it into the Chelsea bench for the final.
Caf now base their determination of Africa?s annual best player award on which player performed well in the Uefa Champions league while a shameful category is created for players who excel in the CAF Champions League.
Christopher Katongo?s brilliance that won Zambia their maiden AFCON to trophy to CAF was nothing close to Alex Song?s jigging show for Arsenal?s quarter-final exploits in the Uefa Champions League while Yaya Toure?s triumph was more based on his excellence with Man City in both the English Premier League and display of steer against Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and the likes.
Toure?s qualities as an epitome of a modern world class midfielder cannot be shrieked in doubt but CAF?s lack of impress commitment to change the old-fashion style spinning in a vicious cycle which yields worry and distress for the continent?s football gives much concern.
Caf?s pettiness, low-ambitions and organisational inefficiencies drop the African standard to heartbreaking and bewildering lows.
The winner of the Caf Champions League takes home $1.3 million; Arsenal received ?85 million for TV coverage for participating in the Champions League last season.
Al Ahli, the Egyptian powerhouse and seven time winners of ?CAF?s Milo Games? standard competition, must stretch their dominance to over a century and save up the amount before coming anywhere close to what Arsenal earn from TV coverage alone.
CAF is afraid of change and the ageing leadership would continue to stay away from testing a one-off final for the continent?s flagship competition.
We can imagine how many TP Mazembe fans will trip down to Accra to cheer on their side against South Africa?s Orlando Pirates at Ghana?s Accra Sports Stadium in the format of the European game.
As 178.7 million people across the global rush to catch a glimpse of the spectacular European final two weeks ago but any venue anywhere in Africa, will struggle to get the numbers any African city chosen to host the African version.
Lack of branding and proper strategising is killing the African game.
The appearance of big-name stars in the competition also share it side talks. Mohammed Aboutrika ? the modern day Osei Kofi and Tresor Mputo cannot command following outside of their territories.
CAF?s Marketing Committee is a mere representation of a title and does nothing serious about branding the African game causing ORANGE (the French multinational telecommunications corporation)?to feel no other company can destabilise their monopoly instituted by Hayatou and his francophone cronies.
All other committees are still vulnerable. While the Europeans appetite for improvement in the game has ever been insatiable, a short tour of CAF?s website ? cafonline.com exposes settlement for low standards and pettiness. Drawing a comparison to Uefa.com almost brings up a constipated disgrace to the face.
We can just about imagine where World Football would be had FIFA executives been fooled into helping Issah Hayatou to depose Sepp Blatter from his throne.
Africa can reach for more, Hayatou?s perpetual rulership is a major detriment but individual associations must initial the cleansing first proper planning, long-term developmental projects and aggressive branding and marketing strategies.
Michael Oti Agyei, Gary-Al Smith, Nii Amartey Lexis, Nathan Quao and all emerging citadels of new media communication would continue to entertain us with exciting intricate tweets about Cristiano Ronaldo?s command as the game?s best counter-attacker, Lio Messi?s record-breaking waves, Neymar?s arrival at the Camp Nou and Michel Platini?s increasing pressure on Sepp Blatter on structural adjustments to better the game.
