Following the recent preliminary draw to mark the start of the Caf interclub 2024/25 season, CAF has confirmed the list of clubs officially licensed and eligible to compete in the Caf Champions League and Caf Confederation Cup ahead of the new seasons of the competitions.
There is no Gambian club in the fray. Ordinarily, Real de Banjul which won the league title should have gone for the Caf champions league while Medina United, the FA Cup winners, should go for the Confederations Cup.
According to the regulations, all clubs that qualify on sporting merit for Caf interclub competitions must be granted a license before they can be eligible to compete in Caf Interclub competitions. As a result, several clubs across the continent have undergone a licensing process at the level of their respective national association in view of their participation in the Caf Interclub competitions 2024/25 season.
Before the granting of a license, the following elements are considered at each club: Sporting Infrastructure, Personnel and Administrative, Legal, and Financial. For the current club licensing cycle, the deadline date for submission of all the licensing decisions and documents was 30 June 2024.
Impeccable sources told The Standard none of the Gambian clubs Real de Banjul and Medina United met all the criteria under the new regulations. It could be recalled also that The Gambia currently has no Caf approved stadium to host international matches.
“For us we fit all criteria except the infrastructure and technical standards, example an A license coach,” said an official of Real de Banjul, explaining why the Gambian champions will not go to Africa.
A total of 58 clubs from 46 CAF member associations were licensed for the Caf Champions League 2024/25 edition.
For the Caf Confederation Cup 2024/25 edition, a total of 51 clubs representing 40 member associations were granted a license and will take part in the competition.
Through the effective implementation of the Caf Club Licensing process, a number of disputes related to the overdue payables in the financial criteria were settled by the engaged clubs in order to comply with the Caf men´s club licensing regulations.
CLOP
For the Caf Interclub season 2024/25 club licensing procedure, Caf has consolidated the use of the Caf Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP) which was set as mandatory to all Caf Member Associations to process applications for the clubs intending to participate in the Caf men´s interclub competitions 2024/25, namely the Caf Champions League and Caf Confederation Cup.
Caf Head of Professional Football, Muhammad Sidat said: “Following the soft launch of the CLOP during the 2023/24 season, all Member Associations (Licensors) have licensed their clubs through the CLOP for the current club licensing cycle 2024/25. The Member Associations, Leagues, and Clubs have rapidly adapted to the electronical transformation of the club licensing process.”
The Caf Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP) is an electronic tool system designed to manage the licensing process and stadium inspections for continental and domestic competitions.
