MOTSEPE’S CORONATION AS CAF PRESIDENT ON FRIDAY

MBABANE – Mamelodi Sundowns billionaire owner, Patrice Motsepe is expected to be confirmed the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Friday – unopposed.

This follows the withdrawals of the three other presidential candidates, Senegal’s Augustin Senghor, Ivory Coast’s Jacques Anouma and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya. Motsepe, aged 59, also had the full backing of not only the 14-COSAFA region membership, but even FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whose strategic presence in recent key African football gatherings including the COSAFA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sandton, Johannesburg, stop-overs in Cameroon, Senegal, Sudan, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, was not surprising.

In a deal that has been brokered dubbed the ‘Rabat protocol’, the three other contestants for the CAF presidency have been offered vice presidents posts with Augustin Senghor as first vice and Ahmed Yahya as third vice while Jacques Anouma will be adviser to Motsepe. The deal has opened the way for Motsepe to occupy the head-honcho position at CAF unopposed.
In reports carried by South African newspapers yesterday, in particular, the City Press, it was The deal has opened the way for Motsepe to occupy the head-honcho position at CAF unopposed.

In reports carried by South African newspapers yesterday, in particular, the City Press, it was reported that the deal was first mooted in Yaoundé on the sidelines of African Nations Championships in Cameroon last month. It then became a reality during the FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar last month and finalised in Rabat, Morocco. However, the Morocco government might just spoil the party for Motsepe’s coronation after it suspended all flights to and from several countries including South Africa and Egypt.

Fears

The North African country cited fears of the spread of COVID-19 as reason behind its decision to suspend flights. This comes after panic over the unissued travel visas to Morocco.
However, Motsepe, who was in Mauritania over the weekend, has a private jet and is set to head straight to Rabat, Morocco from Mauritania. With 54 members, CAF is the second biggest confederation among FIFA members – UEFA has the biggest with  55 members - and has seven seats on the FIFA Council, including that of vice president and ordinary members.

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