By Staff Reporter
news@alexreporter.co.za
Patrice Motsepe has been confirmed as the first South African president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
Motsepe, whose candidacy was announced by the SA Football Association (Safa) in November, stood unopposed at Caf’s 43rd General Assembly in Rabat, Morocco, on Friday. He will serve a four-year term until the next elective congress in 2025.
This came after a deal was concluded over the past month that saw Motsepe’s rivals – Senegal’s Augustin Senghor‚ Mauritanian Ahmed Yahya and Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast – withdraw their candidacies in exchange for leadership and executive positions. Senghor and Yahya have been offered vice-presidencies‚ and Anouma an advisory role.
Motsepe began his campaign as the least favourite among the candidates, as an outsider and unknown in Caf’s political landscape.
Campaigning by Motsepe and Safa president Danny Jordaan took them to Cameroon, Morocco, Egypt and Qatar, meeting countless African football association heads.
These trips coincided with events such as the African Nations Championship (Chan), a Caf executive meeting, the Caf Champions League final and the Fifa Club World Cup, which were attended by FA presidents.