New CAF president Motsepe disagrees with FIFA over the timing of the AFCON

* Insists it will still be played bi-annually

* FIFA president had suggested it be held every four years

* The AFCON timing has been a big debating issue among European clubs

* Motsepe also pledges to solve the television rights saga with French company Lagardere

Ghanasoccernet.com

The new Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Patrice Motsepe has moved to prove that he is not a FIFA president Gianni Infantino poodle by insisting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will continue to be played every two years.

The billionaire businessman assured teeming football fans over the frequency of Africa’s flagship football competition in the wake of a call by Infantino for a switch to be held only every four years during an African football conference in Morocco last year, claiming that it would serve the continent better.

But the call of the Swiss national sparked a big debate across the continent as many favoured sticking to the two-year AFCON frequency.

With reports that FIFA brokered the agreement that reached a consensus among the presidential candidates to bring Motsepe to power during last Friday’s election in Morocco, it was thought the billionaire would be controlled by Infantino.

But Motsepe sharply disagreed with the FIFA President over the frequency of the AFCON insisting with CAF’s revenues plummeting, the continent desperately needs to maintain the frequency to maximise its commercial potential.

“The AFCON will take place every two years, African football needs it,” said the South African Motsepe at a press conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

“This is one area where there were different views [at CAF’s assembly]. And I’ve no doubt that where we are now‚ it has to be every two years — there’s no doubt about that,” Motsepe said.

The move by the new CAF leader has assured football fans on the continent that Motsepe will be fighting for the interests of African football when he assumes his role as a FIFA vice-president — an automatic position for a confederation head.

Infantino sparked a major debate in Africa last year at a CAF development seminar in Morocco when he called for the AFCON to be held every four years instead of two.

The FIFA president argued that holding the tournament every four years will provide massive commercial and infrastructure benefit just like the other continental competitions.

“I propose to organise the Africa Cup of Nations every four years rather than two years,” Infantino had suggested. “[The AFCON] generates 20 times less than the Euros.

“Having [an AFCON] every two years, is that good at the commercial level? Has this developed the infrastructure? Think about spending it every four years.”

But with the new CAF president Motsepe taking a firm decision on the frequency of the AFCON, the debate on the matter looks to have been settled.

The timing and the frequency of the tournament has been a big debating issue among coaches of European clubs who have been reluctant in releasing their African players to play in the tournament.

Some clubs in Europe have called for the tournament to be moved to the summer because its timing in mid-season disrupts their plans as their African stars leave to play for their respective countries.

The January and February timing of the AFCON had previously led to tug of wars between European clubs and African national teams but the decision to move the tournament to June and July two years ago satisfied the concerns of the clubs.

But with the 2021 edition set to revert to a January-February next year because of the torrential mid-year rain in the host nation Cameroon, the debate will be reignited.

Meanwhile, Motsepe also pledged as one of his first targets to help solve the television rights saga with French company Lagardere — that has negatively affected the finances of the continental football governing body.

CAF has been locked in a legal dispute with the television and marketing rights company which has led to several television stations being denied the chance of showing the continent’s top matches.

Africa football governing body needs some cash injection after it reported a $11.4-million loss for 2020 while a $6.8-million deficit also also reported for 2019 following the cancellation of the contract with Lagardere.

Lagardere has been at loggerheads with CAF since the termination of its agreement two years ago which has affected continental broadcasters like SuperSport while football fans in sub-Saharan Africa have been unable to watch the continent’s top matches.

Motsepe says he wants to end the organization’s impasse with the television rights holders for fans in Africa to be able to watch the matches while bringing in the much-needed revenue to boost Africa’s football governing body.

“We got to fix those things. I’m absolutely confident over the next years African football will improve in all areas and become globally competitive and self-sustaining,” Motsepe said at the press conference.

“Africa is spending a lot of money to watch European football and needs to get more income from the sale of TV rights.

“In South Africa, huge amounts of money are spent in acquiring broadcasting rights of European football, which is great. But Europe must also invest so much money to acquire television rights for African football.”

The approach must delight continental broadcasters SuperSport who have come under fire from their viewers and customers for their inability to show matches of Africa’s club and international competitions.

MultiChoice, the company that owns SuperSport, acquired the rights to some of the top matches organised by CAF through Lagardere and the impasse with the Cairo-based organisation affected their relationship.

SuperSport have been unable to broadcast the qualifying matches for AFCON, the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.

The matches have now been broadcast by some national television channels who have signed a separate agreement to cover free-to-air rights.