Recently, Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, has highlighted the issue of African players who have contributed a great deal to the European leagues. It comes in the wake of the African soccer tournament that is scheduled to start this month. When that happens, it will interfere with the soccer leagues in Europe.
All of them have important players in their ranks. Klopp is right to be worried because if you take away the likes of Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Wilfred Ndidi or Pierre Merrick Aubameyang, you literally destroy the performance of those teams. What is even worse is that the owners of those clubs, the fans and a variety of businesses are now dependant on those players and what they do to attract clientage. There is a lot of money involved – in billions of dollars.
Because of their playing ability, the African players are now an important business attribute of those clubs. African soccer administrators should be at the forefront to learn what makes those clubs tick, instead of them depending on kickbacks from exporting players to Europe. African players could embellish African clubs, instead of being exported to Europe. In that instance, the money, too, would come to Africa.
It is a wonder that, we in Africa, are not able to see this and market it accordingly! The Americans , Chinese and Malysians have seen it.
Ibrahim Mukasa
Abaita Babiri
