Patrice Motsepe has been re-elected unopposed as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for a second term on March 12. The South African mining magnate and Mamelodi Sundowns owner, who has led CAF since 2021, was confirmed in the role at the CAF extraordinary general assembly in Cairo, attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Motsepe had announced his decision to seek re-election in October 2024 and expressed his intention to continue building on the progress made during his first term, particularly in improving the financial standing of African football.
Motsepe’s re-election was a formality, as he was the sole candidate running for office. His presidency has been marked by a period of stability following his appointment in 2021, succeeding Ahmad of Madagascar. Under Motsepe’s leadership, CAF has seen significant financial growth, including a substantial profit from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. However, he acknowledged the remaining challenges, such as improving national football infrastructure across Africa, with many countries still lacking adequate stadiums.
In addition to Motsepe’s re-election, the CAF extraordinary general assembly was also marked by the election of Africa’s representatives to sit in the FIFA Council as well as representatives of African regions.
The president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa was thus elected by a landslide majority (49 votes out of 52) as the CAF top representative on the FIFA Council.
Lekjaa secured a wide margin over Egyptian candidate Hani Abou Rida, Niger’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou, Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi.
Comorian candidate Kanizat Ibrahim secured the seat designated for female representatives.
CAF representatives on the FIFA Council are elected for a term that runs until 2029.