Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe is hopeful that the various individual successes enjoyed by the continent’s five representatives at the Qatar 2022 World Cup can help bolster the African Super League.

Morocco led this success by becoming the first African country to reach the semifinals of the men’s soccer World Cup, before eventually being ousted by two-time world champions France.

Countries such as Tunisia and Cameroon also clocked up some accolades in Qatar. The former beat finalists France, while the latter became the first African country to beat record world champions Brazil in the tournament.  

CAF officially launched the Super League back in August 2022 and the mother body of African football has set a tentative date of the same month in 2023 to officially see it lift off. They hope that it will change the face of the continent’s football for good, and for the better.    

Speaking to journalists at a press conference in Johannesburg on 21 December 2022, Motsepe reiterated the importance of the Super League being a success.

The business mogul, who will celebrate two years at the helm of CAF in March 2023, added that the displays of African nations in Qatar will make drawing support for the Super League — from all spheres — just a bit easier.  

“We should not underestimate the importance of finance. The salaries that players earn, that coaches earn, in other parts of the world. That’s why the African Super League is a very important intervention,” Motsepe told journalists.

“We are confident that over time it will significantly increase the salaries of players in Africa, and compete [with the rest of the world] … For example, we know how much they pay in the Scandinavian countries for our players. And [with the Super League] we can compete,” the 60-year-old added.

“We are confident that the performances of African nations at the Qatar World Cup will serve as a significant stimulus and accelerator for the good work that has been taking place to improve the quality and global competitiveness of African football.”  

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Motsepe also called on governments to take a leaf from the tree of Morocco’s actions, which led to their current success and deliberately invest in football and its development.

A combination of socio-economic factors, plus corruption in government and amongst football administrators, as well as serious issues such as civil wars, means not all the countries on the continent can afford to do this — no matter how much they wish to.

Super, Super League?

But just what is the Super League? Why does CAF feel it is a necessary addition to the inter-club competitions in place?

One objective of the Super League, according to Motsepe, is to position the continent’s football in the global upper echelons by ensuring Africa’s best clubs can compete financially with the rest of the world.

“African clubs have never had a good foundation, financially, to keep some of the best players in Africa — from an income perspective,” said Motsepe at the launch of the tournament.

“They love the continent; they want to be in Africa. So, the financial part of club football is a critical issue and what we’re hoping to do is improve the quality of football. We need to get the spectators excited to watch local football, so it’s as good as watching football anywhere in the world.”

Motsepe is of course cognisant of the fact that he can further cement his already glittering legacy if the Super League proves to be a success. 

A successful Super League would significantly boost the cash coffers of the continental football body, which has in recent years battled to balance the books. Hence the ascent of Motsepe, a shrewd business mind, to president of the organisation.

“The future of African football is extremely bright. Part of my job is to lay a solid foundation. You don’t judge a leader exclusively by what they are doing at the moment. You also judge a leader by the continuity, success and progress when they’re no longer there,” Motsepe told journalists.

“Because sometimes we say the right things and we intend to do the right things. But we don’t follow through with focused, determined hard work.”

Time, as it typically is, will be the ultimate decider of whether Motsepe’s tenure is a success or not. DM