African Soccer Leader Patrice Motsepe Secures Second Term
Image source: Per Second News
Patrice Motsepe, the leader of African soccer, was re-elected on Wednesday and emphasized the need for collaboration with private financiers to help federations build national stadiums in countries with constrained government budgets. The 54 member federations of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unanimously re-elected Motsepe for a second four-year term, with no opposition.
Motsepe, a billionaire from South Africa with mining interests, will also continue in his role as a vice president at FIFA, earning $300,000 a year. FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, joined Motsepe on stage during the election.
As the owner of Mamelodi Sundowns, who are set to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States in June, Motsepe has strong political connections, being the brother-in-law of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. During his speech, Motsepe shared insights from his discussions with other African heads of state.
“Many of the heads of state I meet tell me,” Motsepe recounted to the African soccer leaders, “‘Whatever money we have, we must pay back our loans. We love football, but we have to decide whether to spend the money on building a stadium, a hospital, or investing more in education.'”
Motsepe acknowledged that while there is a passion for football, government support is not as robust as it could be—not due to a lack of love for the sport. He noted that currently, only 12 member federations lack stadiums certified for international matches, down from 38 in previous years. This situation has forced international competitions, such as World Cup qualifiers and the African Cup of Nations, to be held in neutral countries, often Morocco.
“For us, 12 is too many,” said the CAF president, pledging to engage more with private investors. “You cannot develop football in any African country if national teams and clubs do not play in front of their supporters.”
Next year’s men’s World Cup, hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, will feature a record nine guaranteed spots for African teams. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Morocco made history by becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals. Additionally, four African teams will participate in the 32-team Club World Cup.
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