Jordaan welcomes new CAF proposal

Safa president, Danny Jordaan has hailed the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) move to start a Women’s Champions League, which is set to begin next year, saying it is the step in the right direction to grow the sport.

Jordaan said sponsors and administrators are sitting on a goldmine in terms of women’s football and he believes it could generate more revenue than men’s football. But he didn’t elaborate further as to how that might happen.

“It was a very progressive decision,” said Jordaan in a virtual meeting with members of Maximal Football Training.

“Now we need the details to make sure there is compliance and that the best teams on the continent get broadcasts so we can see the quality of women’s club football on the continent,” he added.

Jordaan, who is also a Caf deputy president, conceded that with the growth of women’s football on the continent, it is more likely that an African country could win a Fifa Women’s World Cup, than in the men’s section.

The issue of clubs using unsporting tactics to win matches in continental competitions was also highlighted, with Jordaan criticizing it, saying it denied the tournament organisers a chance to generate revenue.

“In Africa, the question of winning has come sometimes at the expense of the competition and revenue opportunities, because if you look at the Uefa leagues in Europe, it doesn’t matter where the match is played, the quality and the production of the match remains constant.

“The infrastructure – technical and otherwise – remains the same. In Africa you find the match which should be played in a capital city is taken to a small town in order to ensure victory, rather than provide enhancement and a revenue opportunity for the competition.

“I think it is one of the things we must look at. One of the minimum requirements for a club is to look at the media and broadcast infrastructure required for a Champions League match.”