President of Africa’s football governing body, CAF, Ahmad Ahmad has admitted that the Confederation can do more and will do more for the development of women’s football in the continent.
Ahmad spoke with accredited journalists after the 2018 Ordinary Congress of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Casablanca on Friday.
When quizzed by our Chief Football Writer Fisayo Dairo on the seeming disparity between the number of Men football competitions and Women football competitions on the continent, Ahmad said his administration are working to address issues surrounding women’s football this year.
“The Women AFCON will come up in Ghana this November but before then, we will organize a symposium on Women’s football here in Morocco on March 5 and 6.
“This proves we are trying our best to mobilize, promote and enhance women’s football,” said Ahmad.
While admitting that the continent is not on the same level with others in the women’s game, Ahmad hopes that the Symposium to be held in the Southern Morrocan city of Marrakech will help to chart a good course for women’s football going forward.
“It is true that we are lagging behind in Africa, it’s a fact!
“So, this is how we want to compensate – especially by organising this symposium – and we will have resolutions based on them.
“For the time being, we have discussions with big institutions in the framework of women’s football but you will have the information when we come to the conclusion of these procedures.”
The FIFA Under-17 and Under-20 Women’s tournaments will take place in 2018 with African teams expected to participate. However, these teams qualify based on home and away knockout qualifiers as Africa are the only continent without a tournament at those levels.
Fisayo Dairo, reporting from Casablanca, Morocco.
