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South African businessman, Dr Patrice Motsepe has been re-elected unopposed as President of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) for a second four-year term.
The decision was confirmed at the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo on Wednesday, extending his leadership of the organization until 2029.
Motsepe’s re-election comes after a first term widely praised for stabilizing CAF’s finances and boosting its global profile. Under his leadership, the organization set several new records at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Cote d’Ivoire 2023, attracting a record 1.4 billion viewers worldwide.
Prize money for major tournaments, including the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, has also increased significantly, alongside enhanced financial support for Member Associations.
In the midst of the much vaunted successes under his leadership, apart from accusations of sectional bias against historically successful sub-regional football bodies like the West African Football Union (WAFU), Motsepe has so far failed to stamp out acerbic corruption within CAF.
Motsepe, 63, faced no opposition after the nomination deadline passed in November 2024. His decision to run again followed requests from Member Association Presidents and key stakeholders.
Motsepe also emphasized his administration’s commitment to transparency and integrity in football governance.
Addressing stadium infrastructure challenges, Motsepe highlighted the strides made under his leadership.
“Now, we have 12 nations who are not playing home games in their countries. Previously, it was 38 nations, but we want to make sure everyone can have a standard stadium and play their matches at home.”
Dr Motsepe’s unopposed re-election reflects both confidence in his leadership and the desire to see him elevate African football to new heights. On CAF’s executive committee, five others were elected unopposed alongside Samuel Eto’o.
Mustapha Ishola Raji of Liberia retained his seat for another four years, while Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo), Wallace Karia (Tanzania), Kurt Simeon-Okraku (Ghana), and Sadi Walid (Algeria) are new to the committee.
Elvis Chetty of the Seychelles lost his place when Feizal Sidat (Mozambique) and Samir Sobha of Mauritius were voted in to represent Southern Africa.
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