CAF’s Head of TV and Broadcasting, Luxolo September, has urged Africans to prioritise their own leagues ahead of European ones.
Check Out: Report: Chiefs Legend ‘Identified’ For Managerial Role In Botswana
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are currently co-hosting the 2025 edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN). The tournament is seen as a precursor to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will also be staged across the three East African nations.
According to September, the organisational standards on display have been highly impressive, and he believes the legacy of CHAN could be transformational.
“For me, the legacy of this CHAN is that it will be a catalyst for something new,” September told NTV.
“What’s being done here – the fruits of it will be experienced by Kenya in the long term. The beneficiaries will not only be CAF – it’ll be the media, the leagues, and the supporters.”
On the matter of the Kenyan league in particular, September stressed the importance of improving its structures and administration to build on the momentum created by CHAN.
“You must build on the heritage – it can’t perish on the 30th of August,” he added.
“The Kenyan Premier League must improve. Police, Gor Mahia, Mathare, and Tusker clubs must be names in every household again. It will not happen overnight – you require institutions, professional administration, and continuity.”
September also called for Africans to reduce their overindulgence in European football, pointing out that investment in foreign leagues does little to benefit the African game commercially.
Check Out: Kenya Star Praises McCarthy’s Impact
“End the fetishising of European leagues. We don’t profit from them. Construct your own. Keep your best players home. Commercialise your leagues, media-friendly, and professional,” he urged.
