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Cape Town - Head
of South African Football Association Danny Jordaan has praised the
Confederation of African Football for increasing the South African
Premiership spots for Champions League qualification.
As of next season, the Premiership will have four representatives within Africa's elite club competition - with the top four within the 16-team league table securing qualification.
Jordaan feels the decision was based on the sheer professionalism and commercial value the South African clubs can add to the competition in order for the continental showpiece to develop.
"If you look at what is happening in the Premier League in England‚ the first thing those clubs try to do is win the league title and if they can’t do it‚ then the next motivation is to try to get into the top four to have a guarantee of going into the Uefa Champions League," he told reporters.
"As you can see for both Egypt and South Africa they [Caf] have allocated four places in the Champions League and that is on the basis that these teams are strong‚ thriving and truly professional teams.
"Some of our teams [in South Africa] can compete with the best clubs anywhere in the world, but it is not so for every country in the world. This is something we have to greatly support and give more attention to‚ which is part of the reason why we come here in September to address this matter," Jordaan added.
"Even professional football in this country has come a long way and it is now that it has taken a step up. It is not so on the rest of the continent."
