Sporting Action - Four More Years, Four More Years!

Patrice Motsepe re-elected as CAF President

By Koketso Mamabolo

Patrice Motsepe was re-elected for his second four-year term as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at the special sitting of the General Assembly held in Cairo on the 13th of March.

The first time around his experience as an owner of Mamelodi Sundowns, knowledge and status as one of South Africa’s titans of industry and a great friend of sport — with as much love for football as his Blue Bulls partner Johann Rupert has for rugby — was enough to get him the job. For his second term, which he won unopposed, it has been the way he’s been steering CAF’s finances towards a sustainable path, tightening governance through a zero-tolerance policy on corruption and encouraging transparency.

Along with tending to the nuts and bolts, CAF has also set a particular focus on grassroots development and contributions to member associations, setting aside about a third of its budget to take care of the sport’s foundations. The goal is for member associations to receive $1-million in annual funding from 2028.

Infrastructure continues to be one of African football’s major challenges, one which Motsepe acknowledged after his second term was confirmed, urging African heads of state to invest in football infrastructure and reap its financial benefits, using the example of the reported $1.5-billion injection Cote d’Ivoire received from hosting the African Cup of Nations in 2024.

The federation made $72-million in profit from its showpiece event last year, a huge leap from the $4-million it recorded from the 2021 tournament in Cameroon with the next edition of the African Cup of Nations kicking off at the end of this year.

For Motsepe, it’s about leaving CAF a better place than he found it and facilitating the kind of changes in the sport that he and football supporters across the continent hope will give Africa a proper seat at the table.

“My duty is to make sure there are leaders now, who can continue with the work of CAF [sic]. For us, it’s a legacy issue. We are honoured to be part of this legacy. There’s a revolution taking place in African football and we are privileged to be part of that revolution,” he said last year, when he confirmed his intention to stand for re-election.

“Part of the revolution is in the results on the field. Morocco reached the semifinals of the World Cup [in 2022]. There was the success of the Afcon in Ivory Coast, which was watched by 180 nations. This has never happened. The prize money being given to the winning teams increased.”

The end of his second term will come just a year before the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the centenary edition, which will be held in Morocco, Spain and Portugal following the three opening games scheduled to take place in South America, in a nod to the inaugural tournament in 1930. He was instrumental in lobbying for Morocco to host arguably the biggest sporting event in the world outside of the Olympics, ensuring CAF members presented a united front.

“The 2030 World Cup is a source of immense pride for the entire African continent,” said earlier this year. “This is truly Africa’s World Cup. Morocco has set the standard for Africa. The work [the country] has done serves as a model for sustainable football development across the continent.”

Motsepe will still be eligible for a third and final term in 2029 but it remains to be seen if he’ll still be at the helm when Africa welcomes the football world to its shores again. Until then, to use the slogan from the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa (the first African country to host the tournament): Ke nako, it’s time to get to work.

What's On In April

Football

CAF Confederations Cup

Stellenbosch FC vs Zamalek SC - 2 & 9 April

CAF Champions League

Orlando Pirates vs MC Alger - 8 April

Esperance vs Mamelodi Sundowns - 9 April

Rugby

EPCR Challenge Cup

Edinburgh vs Lions 4 April

Aviron Bayonnais vs Blue Bulls - 5 April

Lyon vs Sharks - 6 April

Motorsport

1 Japan GP - 6 April

Bahrain GP - 13 April

Saudi Arabia GP - 20 April Moto GP Qatar GP - 12 April

Spain GP - 27 April

Source: Business Day | Reuters | Daily Maverick | Forbes Africa | News24 | Supersport