Nearly three decades after their landmark collaboration that produced the now-defunct Meridian Cup, Africa and Europe’s football governing bodies have rekindled their strategic partnership with a fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The Confederation of African Football and UEFA on Tuesday signed a new agreement in Vancouver, Canada, marking a renewed commitment to deepen cooperation, drive development, and expand football’s social impact across both continents.
The agreement, signed by CAF President Patrice Motsepe and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, echoes the spirit of the January 1997 accord in Lisbon, Portugal, which led to the creation of the Meridian Cup. This intercontinental youth competition has since been discontinued.
The new MoU, which will run until June 30, 2031, sets out a broad framework for collaboration, anchored on shared values of inclusion, solidarity, integrity, and openness, while positioning football as a vehicle for social cohesion and development.
Motsepe noted that African football has recorded “significant growth” in recent years and stressed that the renewed partnership with UEFA would strengthen long-standing ties between the two regions.
“This partnership includes youth and women’s football, development, education and training of coaches and referees, as well as governance and institutional development,” Motsepe said. “By combining our expertise and resources, we will ensure that football remains a source of hope, joy, and unity for millions.”
Čeferin, on his part, highlighted the broader societal impact of football across Europe and Africa, describing both regions as home to “extraordinary football landscapes.”
“This agreement reflects our shared commitment to expanding opportunities for young players while advancing women’s football and promoting wellbeing,” he said. “By working closely with CAF, we aim to invest in people, share expertise, and strengthen football’s positive and lasting impact on communities.”
Under the agreement, both confederations will collaborate across several strategic areas, including youth and women’s football competitions, long-term development programmes, coaching education, refereeing exchanges, and institutional knowledge sharing.
The deal also provides for observer programmes at major tournaments, joint participation in conferences, and cooperation in football medicine and education pathways, alongside regular governance reviews to ensure effective implementation.
The renewed partnership is widely seen as a modern evolution of the 1997 collaboration, one that seeks to move beyond competitions like the Meridian Cup toward a more holistic and sustainable development model for the global game.
