Dr. Patrice Motsepe has been re-elected unopposed for a second four-year term as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). His reappointment was confirmed on Wednesday during the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo, where FIFA president Gianni Infantino was also in attendance.
The 63-year-old business mogul and football administrator, who first took office in 2021, had initially been non-committal about seeking re-election. However, after multiple appeals from CAF member association presidents and key football stakeholders, he announced his candidacy in October 2024.
Following his re-election, Motsepe reaffirmed his commitment to making African football more competitive on the global stage while focusing on financial stability and infrastructure development.
“The goal remains making African football competitive internationally, stabilizing finances, and investing in infrastructure that allows our teams and players to thrive,” he said.
A key priority for his second term will be improving stadium infrastructure. Motsepe highlighted significant progress in this area, noting that in 2021, 36 African nations were unable to host international matches due to inadequate facilities. That number has since dropped to 12, but he emphasized that more work needs to be done.
“At CAF and FIFA, it is our job to continue supporting the development of sports infrastructure,” he stated.
Motsepe took over CAF at a turbulent time, following the corruption scandal that led to the FIFA-imposed ban of his predecessor, Ahmad Ahmad. Under his leadership, the organization has achieved a financial turnaround, stabilizing its books after the collapse of a $1 billion TV rights deal with Lagardère.
CAF has since settled outstanding debts, significantly increased prize money for its competitions, and boosted financial support for member associations. The financial success of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast stands as a testament to this progress. The tournament generated a record-breaking $72 million (£55.5m) in profit—an 18-fold increase from the previous edition in 2022—and attracted an unprecedented global audience of 2 billion viewers.
Although Motsepe’s re-election was uncontested, elections were held for other key positions within CAF’s executive committee. Among the notable appointments was Cameroonian football legend Samuel Eto’o, who secured a seat on the committee. Additionally, representatives for Africa’s seats on the FIFA Council were elected during the assembly.
