A few days before the election, there is already only one left.

The Ivorian Jacques Anouma, the Senegalese Augustin Senghor and the Mauritanian Ahmed Yahya gave up, on Saturday March 6, to run for the presidency of the African Football Confederation (CAF).

The South African Patrice Motsepe remains the only candidate in the running.

The four men were gathered in the capital of Mauritania Nouakchott to attend the final of the CAN U-20.

If on the ground, Ghana got the best of Uganda (2-0), the real event of the evening took place at the Congress Center: an "African unity ceremony" to seal a consensus in the head of CAF.

🌍 Before the final of the 2021 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, the "African Unity Ceremony" is organized at the Palais des Congrès in Nouakchott, Mauritania



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▶ ️https: //t.co/hdPV4nfBKT pic.twitter.com/J0tq68i9E1

- FIFA.com (FR) âš˝ (@fifacom_fr) March 6, 2021

A week before the election to be held on March 12 in Rabat (Morocco), the alliance between the four candidates officially became reality.

Jacques Anouma, Augustin Senghor and Ahmed Yahya lined up behind Patrice Motsepe, of which they will respectively become advisor, second and first vice-presidents.

>> To read also: African football: who are the 4 candidates to succeed Ahmad Ahmad at the head of CAF?

"African football needs collective wisdom, but also the exceptional talent and wisdom of every president of every country and every member association. That's what gives me confidence. If we work together with the experience, the talent and passion, football in Africa will experience success and growth that it has never experienced in the past. For that, it needs all of us, "said Patrice Motsepe after thanking each of his ex- competitors for their contribution to the jointly established program.

"When I see the passion of these men, I tell myself that a bright future awaits us."

Rabat Pact

Before this demonstration of "African unity", there was a meeting between the three West Africans in Rabat during the weekend of February 27, at the initiative of the Moroccan and Egyptian federations.

They were invited to line up behind the banner of Patrice Motsepe, an invitation read by many as interference from Fifa.

"I am shocked. We put more emphasis on a distribution of posts than an agreement to move towards unity. We have the impression that we have sacrificed Africa on the altar of our personal ambitions", s' Jacques Amouma was also insurgent, judging the initiative to be "undemocratic".

After leaving suspense to maintain his candidacy, he finally sided with the consensus the day before the Nouakchott ceremony.

Motsepe, man of Fifa?

The upcoming election is particularly important for CAF, whose reputation has been marred by financial scandals.

The outgoing president, the Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad, was suspended for five years by Fifa in November on suspicion of corruption.

According to a source familiar with the matter, "Motsepe has the preference of Fifa, who wants someone new, not involved in the old management, to attract new sponsors, investors and give CAF a better image afterwards. everything that happened ".

The outcome of the weekend therefore resembles the ideal scenario for Fifa.

Gianni Infantino, its president, present in Nouakchott, also praised the consensus reached by the candidates:

"I am happy that FIFA was able to contribute, if only a little, at this crucial moment for football on this great continent," said Gianni Infantino during the event.

"The agreement obtained by the candidates is a strong signal for Africa, also for the world. Africa is present and is a key player for the future of world football. It is also a sign of unity. and the commitment to bring African football to the highest level, that is to say to its place. "

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