By Amaechi Agbo

Bayelsa United Sunday made history as they won the 2021 Aiteo Cup after defeating Nigeria Professional Football League side, Nasarawa United 4-3 via penalty to take home the coveted trophy.

While there was wide jubilation both in Benin, Edo state, venue of the final as well as in Bayelsa State, however, the ecstasy became hushed after it emerged that they will not represent the country at the 2022 CAF Confederation Cup due to none registration of the club’s players in CAF Club Licensing programme.

The winner of the Aiteo/FA Cup is guaranteed an automatic place in the CAF Confederation Cup but it does appear that such is not the case for Bayelsa United as the team did not carry out club licensing procedure with the continent’s football regulatory body, CAF.

CAF made it mandatory that any team participating in it’s Interclub Competitions must comply with and adhere to the club licensing procedures.

However, Bayelsa United did not carry out this rule as only the club’s plying their trades in the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL complied with the directives.

According Adewale Ajayi, a Canada-based Nigeria sports journalist, “Bayelsa United didn’t participate in Club licensing as only the top NPFL TEAMS did. So what it means is that their players were not registered for continental (matches) because no one saw this coming.

“Bayelsa United will not represent Nigeria in the continent because they were not registered,” he said.

CAF CLUB LICENSING PTOGRAMME

During the CAF Licensing window earlier this year, countries were asked to submit licensing of possible clubs that can represent them based on sporting merit.

Earlier in the year, CAF announced that all clubs willing to participate in CAF Inter-clubs Competitions must be granted the license by the National Club Licensing Decision-making bodies prior to their engagement in the CAF Inter-clubs Competitions.

In order to receive the license, each club must fulfill all the mandatory minimum requirements set in the National Club Licensing Regulations (which must respect the minimum requirements set by CAF).

The objectives of the Club Licensing Procedure are:
Promoting and improving of the quality and the level of all football aspects in Africa;

Ensuring that clubs have the appropriate infrastructure, knowledge and application in respect of management and organization;
Adapting and improving the clubs sporting infrastructure;

Improving the economic and financial capacity of the clubs, through proper corporate governance and control;

Ensuring and guaranteeing the continuity of the international competitions of clubs during the season;

Allowing the parallel development and comparison amongst clubs by ensuring the necessary compliance in terms of financial, sporting, legal, administrative and infrastructure criteria.

The requirements described in the CAF Club Licensing regulations are graded into three different categories:

a) “A” criteria – “MUST”: If the license applicant does not fulfill any “A” criteria requirement, it cannot be granted a license to enter the CAF inter-clubs competitions;

b) “B” criteria – “MUST”: If the license applicant does not fulfill any “B” criteria requirement, it may be subject to sanctions as specified by the licensor but may still qualify to receive a license to enter the CAF inter-clubs competitions;

c) “C” criteria – “BEST PRACTICE”: C criteria are best practice recommendations and the Non-fulfillment of any ‘C’ criteria may or may not lead to a sanction or the refusal of the necessary license.

End Of The Road For Bayelsa United?

Bayelsa United’s chances of scaling through the hurddel is far and slim as the deadline for submission of names of clubs from CAF’s member associations for participation in CAF Interclub Competitionsompetitions elapsed on July 15, 2021.

Sadly, CAF said that the July 15 deadline is NON-NEGOTIABLE and NON-EXTENDABLE

The deadline for the submission of the club licensing decisions and documents of the clubs for the CAF Interclub competitions 21/22 was 15 July 2021 and CAF informed all Federations that the 15 July 2021 deadline date was non-negotiable and non-extendable by any means.

CAF further informed the Federations that they should submit by 15 July 2021, all club licensing decisions and documents of all the clubs standing a chance to qualify to CAF Interclub competitions based on sporting merit, regardless of the status of completion of the domestic league or national cup competition

Unfortunately, Bayelsa United did not see need to make hair while the sun was shining.

As per the current CAF rankings, the winner of the Premier League shall qualify to play in the CAF Champions League while that of the Cup competition qualifies for the CAF Confederation Cup.

When contacted, an official of the club told our correspondent to give the club till Monday to come out with a statement concerning the development.