Foot: South African Patrice Motsepe elected president of CAF
The South African Patrice Motsepe (in the foreground), accompanied by the president of FIFA Gianni Infantino, before his election as president of the African Football Confederation, on March 12, 2021 in Rabat.
AFP - FADEL SENNA
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
3 min
Patrice Motsepe was elected by acclamation president of the African Football Confederation (CAF), this March 12 in Rabat, for the period 2021-2025.
The first South African to hold this position, the billionaire succeeds the Malagasy Ahmad, suspended for 2 years from all football-related activities.
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From our special correspondent in Rabat,
Patrice Motsepe became the 7th elected president of the African Football Confederation (CAF) on March 12, 2021. The billionaire is the first South African and the first English speaker to occupy this prestigious position on the continent.
The businessman succeeds Ahmad, persona non grata during this 43rd CAF Elective General Assembly (EGM).
The Malagasy, who beat Cameroonian Issa Hayatou to everyone's surprise in 2017, was suspended for 5 years by the International Football Federation (FIFA), before this sanction was reduced to 2 years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS ).
It is alongside Gianni Infantino, boss of FIFA, that a very relaxed and eagerly awaited Patrice Motsepe arrived at this EGM.
A FIFA which has worked so that he is the only candidate in the running - with the withdrawals of the Ivorian Jacques Anouma, the Senegalese Augustin Senghor and the Mauritanian Ahmed Yahya - and of which Motsepe will become the de facto vice-president.
CAF on the verge of a financial impasse
The one who is among the greatest fortunes on the continent will have to straighten out a sick organism.
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Federation (FRMF) and of the CAF Finance Commission, indeed invited his hosts to raise the bar quickly, after four painful years.
“
CAF is settling into an annual deficit of around 10 million dollars.
It is in the process of eating (sic) its capital, its own funds
, he said shortly before the election of Patrice Motsepe.
The major challenge for the new team is to reverse the curve, which would allow CAF to play its role in developing football
”.
The Moroccan concludes, about own financial reserves estimated at $ 60 million: "
If we continue in this logic, we will have enough to function normally during the coming mandate then it will be deadlock."
"
A very surrounded president
To revive the institution created in 1957 and based in Cairo, Patrice Motsepe will be able to rely on five vice-presidents, against three under Ahmad.
To ensure "
better representativeness of the different components of CAF
", according to the head of administration (Secretary General) of CAF, Abdelmounaïm Bah.
More surely to satisfy a maximum of people.
In addition to the election of the president, CAF also elects the members of its government (Executive Committee) and its representatives to the government (Council) of FIFA.
The negotiations have been intense in recent weeks and until late at night, yesterday ...
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