Motsepe: Players need more protection on Africa

by Staff Reporter

Saturday Jun 24, 2023. 14:01

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe will urge all member associations to work closer with FIFPRO and its unions in a bid to further the rights of footballers on the continent.

The Footballers Union of Botswana (FUB) hosted the FIFPRO Africa general assembly on Thursday where Motsepe vowed to strengthen CAF’s bond with the representative organisation for professional players in Africa.

He pledged to extend the cooperation agreement between CAF and FIFPRO Africa beyond December 2023 and believes collective bargaining is the way to go, insisting that players are central to the game.

“Collective bargaining makes sense. It is all about the players, they are at the heart of football,” Motsepe said.

“The talent of our African players is well-known worldwide, but we, the stakeholders in African football, have to invest more in them, respect their rights more and protect them more.

“The next time I am going to address the CAF general assembly, I will discuss with all CAF member associations that they commit themselves to help advance the rights and rights of football players in Africa together with FIFPRO and its unions.”

FIFPRO Africa President Geremie Njitap welcomed Motsepe’s declaration and is keen to forge a stronger relationship with African football’s governing body with a view to protecting the players.

“We want to work more closely with President Motsepe and CAF. The visit of the President showed that he values our relationship, and with his engagement, his kind words and the way he emphasised that the players are at the heart of football, he gave us the impression that both our organisations are heading in the same direction,” Njitap stated.