Confederation of African Football (CAF) Director of Communications Lux September says the continental body will remain focused on what is best for African football amid the growing controversy surrounding FIFA’s governance and the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
September stressed that CAF is not required to automatically take sides in disputes surrounding FIFA, insisting that the confederation’s priority should be protecting the interests of African football.
“CAF will always look at what is in the best interest of African football. We will not allow Africa to be dragged into positions that do not serve our interests.”
His comments come after the controversy surrounding FIFA’s proposal to establish the FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial subsidiary that was intended to increase funding available for football development.
FIFA subsequently abandoned the proposal following widespread criticism over the consultation process. FIFA acknowledged shortcomings in how the initiative was handled and said it would not proceed with the project in its proposed form.
CAF initially said its Executive Committee would assess and evaluate the proposal after receiving correspondence from FIFA as part of the consultation process.
However, CAF has since publicly endorsed the joint update issued by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA Secretary General regarding the Forward Enterprise controversy.
In its August 6 statement, CAF said its Executive Committee unanimously endorsed the update while reaffirming its commitment to governance and transparency.
September believes CAF is uniquely positioned to help facilitate dialogue because of its access to the various stakeholders involved in the dispute.
He argued that Africa should not repeat situations in which the continent takes positions without first carefully considering the implications for its own football development.
The CAF official’s comments underline the confederation’s increasingly pragmatic approach to the wider FIFA dispute, particularly as African football continues to seek greater commercial value and development opportunities.
CAF itself is facing important commercial decisions, with the confederation recently acknowledging the financial implications of changes to the Africa Cup of Nations cycle and the need to strengthen the commercial value of its competitions.
For September, the central issue remains clear: Africa must have its own voice in global football and ensure that every major decision ultimately advances the continent’s football interests.
