‘Samora’ lauds FIFA for CLOP
MBABANE – EFA President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane expressed his gratitude to FIFA for organising the workshop on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP), which concluded yesterday.
The two-day workshop was held at Esibayeni Lodge in Matsapha and it was attended by experts who shared their knowledge and insights with Eswatini Football Association (EFA) members and team officials.
The EFA welcomed the experts, thanking them for their contribution to the workshop and the development of football in Eswatini. “The workshop, which was held by the Eswatini Football Association, was of utmost significance because it allowed club owners and licensing officers to gain a deeper understanding of the club licensing process and its significance.
“Club licensing is crucial for football development, as it establishes standards for how the game should be played, and without it, football cannot progress. The workshop was, therefore, an invaluable opportunity for stakeholders to learn and collaborate towards improving the quality of football in Eswatini.” he said.
Simelane expressed his gratitude to FIFA for bringing in their experts to educate attendees about the importance of club licensing in football development. He emphasised that such knowledge sharing was invaluable for advancing the sport and ensuring its continued growth and success.
EXPERTS
“We are extremely grateful to FIFA for providing us with their experts and teaching us about the importance of meeting the club licensing requirements. It’s now essential for all PLE teams to have a ladies team in order to be eligible to compete in international competitions. This highlights the growing importance of gender equality in football and the need to ensure that women have the same opportunities as men to participate in the sport,” he added.
According to online sources, CLOP is an innovative system developed by CAF to streamline the club licensing process in Africa. It is an online platform that allows clubs to submit their licensing applications and supporting documents digitally, making the process more efficient and transparent.
CLOP also provides a central repository for all licensing-related information, making it easy for clubs to track their progress and ensure that they are meeting all the necessary requirements. The goal of CLOP is to improve the overall quality of African club football and to ensure that clubs are operating in a professional and sustainable manner.
The workshop was attended by 26 representatives from the Premier League and National First Division, including some notable figures such as PLE Chairperson Mark Carmichael, Executive member Charles Matsebula and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Makhanya.