Zurich and Amsterdam, 25 November 2024 – In the context of the Annual Meeting 2024 of the World Leagues Association (WLA) held in Cairo, for the first time, a “regional social dialogue meeting” was held between representatives of African professional leagues (including the Egyptian Pro League, the South African Premier Soccer League, the Uganda Premier League, the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League and the Nigerian Premier Football League) and the President and General Secretary of FIFPRO Africa to discuss the challenges of African football.
The meeting followed the address of FIFPRO Board Member and President of FIFPRO Africa, Geremi Njitap to all professional leagues where he emphasized the critical role of national football. “Wherever players earn their livelihood – in teams big and small – they understand the value of national leagues. They recognize how these leagues contribute to the their jobs and the sector as a whole,” said Njitap.
The constructive regional discussion, where professional leagues and FIFPRO had an opportunity to express their views with respect to labour matters in Africa, was held under the framework of the Global Labour Agreement (GLA) - the world agreement between FIFPRO and the WLA promoting social dialogue in football - and in the presence of the International Labour Organization’s representative for Egypt and Northern Africa.
This groundbreaking session led to the agreement to develop concrete steps to enhance social dialogue in Africa, an initiative that will directly contribute to the next ILO Global Expert Meeting in 2026.
The participants agreed to meet again in the beginning of 2025 in the context of a specific working plan.
Speaking on this development, FIFPRO Africa General Secretary Kgosana Masaseng commented: “This initiative will provide critical support to the African sports industry, which is at a turning point and facing challenges that can only be resolved through effective social dialogue.”
Jerome Perlemuter, General Secretary of the World Leagues Assocation said: “We had a very constructive meeting between our African member leagues and FIFPRO Africa. As the World Leagues Association, our goal is to strengthen professional structures on the continent. This means having more national professional leagues in Africa but also building a long-term and sustainable social dialogue with the players.”
Khaled Refaat, International Relation Advisor to the Egyptian Pro League, that hosted the meeting added: “The Egyptian Pro League is proud to have welcome in Cairo the first meeting between professionnal leagues and FIFPRO Africa. We believe that such a dialog is of outmost importance to build a sustainable football in our continent.”
Eric Oechslin, ILO Director of the Decent Work Team for North Africa and Country Office for Egypt said: “The ILO welcomed this meeting and underlined our commitment to supporting social dialogue in the professional sports world. We will support FIFPRO and WLA in their efforts in this direction.”
FIFPRO and the WLA remain united in their commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the football industry, safeguarding player rights, and strengthening the vital role of national leagues in the global sporting landscape.
