CAF presidency: Unopposed, Motsepe gets nod for second term

South Africa’s Patrice Motsepe is all but certain to secure a second term as the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), as he is the only candidate nominated for the role. The deadline for nominations closed on Tuesday, 12 November, confirming that Motsepe will run unopposed.

Motsepe took over from Madagascar’s Ahmed Ahmed in March 2021,and now looks set to continue leading African football’s governing body after negotiations reportedly cleared the path for his re-election.

Alongside the CAF presidency vote, elections will also decide the new members of the CAF Executive Committee and Africa’s representatives on the FIFA Council.

Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa, who is already serving as President of the Royal Moroccan Football Association (FRMF), is aiming to retain his seat on the FIFA Council. 

Lekjaa, who was elected to the FIFA role in 2020, is among a group of CAF leaders whose current FIFA Council terms have now expired. Other outgoing members include Egypt’s Hany Aboureda, Nigeria’s Amago Pinnick, Mali’s Mamadou Toure, Benin’s Martin Tchakos, and Sierra Leone’s Aisha Johansen.

The elections will be held on March 12 in Cairo, Egypt during CAF’s General Assembly. 

Patrice Motsepe is a South African billionaire and businessman who made his fortune in mining. He founded African Rainbow Minerals, a big mining company, and was the first Black African to join the Forbes billionaire list. In 2021, he took on a major role in African football by becoming the CAF president.