Patrice Motsepe Secures Uncontested Re-election as CAF President

Patrice Motsepe, aged 63, has been re-elected as the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) until 2029 after standing unopposed during the CAF Extraordinary General Assembly held in Cairo on Wednesday.

The South African entrepreneur and owner of Mamelodi Sundowns initially assumed the role on March 12, 2021, following the withdrawal of four other candidates.

During Motsepe’s tenure, African football has witnessed notable advancements, including a rise in the participation of African women’s teams in the FIFA Women’s World Cup and an increase in prize funds for African football tournaments.

Financially, the landscape of African football has seen impressive growth, with CAF reporting profits of $72 million (£55.5 million) from last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire—an astonishing 18-fold increase compared to the revenue from the 2022 edition.

“I was somewhat surprised by the strong demand for continuity,” Motsepe shared with BBC Sport Africa in 2024.

“There were concerns that there might not be the same focus on governance, ethics, and the fundamental changes we have had to implement.

“While we’ve made significant progress, there remains much work ahead.”

In other news, legendary Cameroonian footballer and four-time African Player of the Year, Samuel Eto’o, was elected unopposed as the sole candidate from the Central African region.

The head of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) was suspended in 2024 by both FIFA and CAF for breaching disciplinary rules.

In fact, the former Barcelona and Chelsea striker faced a ban following an investigation into alleged violations of ethical and integrity standards related to his acceptance of a role as an ambassador for a betting firm.