The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
How many teams?
What is less certain is how many teams will compete in future editions with some officials favouring an increase from 16 teams to 24, bringing it in line with the Euro Championship.
The advantage would be more teams exposed to top-level competition and the disadvantage a dilution of the qualifying competition with virtually one in every two teams qualifying.
Hosting could also become more restrictive as six stadiums would be needed instead of four, drastically reducing the number of countries who could stage the tournament.
Were the next finals in 2019 to be a 24-team affair, an already-behind-schedule Cameroon could be forced to pull out, with Algeria and Morocco reportedly interested in taking over.
Some officials believe the best clubs, mostly from the north, should automatically qualify for the 16-team Champions League group stage.
Currently, they get preliminary round byes, then play a home-and-away tie, sometimes with unexpected consequences.
Five-time champions TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo were stunned in the round of 32 this year, losing on away goals to CAPS United of Zimbabwe.
It meant demotion to the secondary CAF Confederation Cup for the “Ravens”, reducing their first-prize earning potential from $2.5 million (2.2 million euros) to $1.25 million.
Ahmad favours zonal qualifying for the three age-limit Cup of Nations — U17, U20, U23 — to curb travel time and costs.
This format is used for the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a national team competition exclusively for footballers who play in their country of birth.
King of Morocco hosts CAF
The African Football Symposium is organized under the High Patronage of the King of Morocco, His Majesty Mohammed VI.
Each of the 55 Member Associations affiliated to CAF is expected to be represented at the two-day event by its president, General Secretary and National Coach.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) is a pillar in the materialization of the symposium. Following a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee in Manama, Bahrain, on 8 May 2017, the FRMF committed to providing funding and logistics for this symposium, which will be followed by a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee and an Extraordinary General Assembly.
A total of eight workshops will be held after the opening plenary session at the Palais des Congrès in Skhirat, a suburb of Rabat, to be graced by invited prominent personalities.
The workshops are as follows:
1- Africa Cup of Nations: Competition and Specifications
2- Interclub Competition
3- Football Development
4- Youth Football
5- International partnerships
6- Communication and Media
7- Marketing and TV
8- Players: role and perspectives
***Additional reporting by CAFonline
