New Dawn For African Football As Motsepe Becomes New CAF President With Pinnick Elected Into FIFA Council

The South African billionaire becomes the 8th man to lead the continent’s biggest football body, replacing Ahmad Ahmad

Africa’s ninth richest man Patrice Motsepe is the new president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), becoming the first man from an Anglophone country to lead the organisation.

Motesepe was confirmed as the new leader of CAF at the body’s 43rd Ordinary General Assembly on Friday in Rabat, Morocco.

The 59-year-old South African businessman was elected unopposed after Ivory Coast’s Jacques Anouma, Senegal’s Augustin Senghor and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya all withdrew following an agreement with FIFA president, Gianni Infantino.

Anouma will now serve as special adviser to Motsepe while Senghor and Yahya are two of the new five vice-presidents. Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick has also been elected into FIFA’s executive council.

Motsepe replaces Ahmad Ahmad, who was banned from all football-related activities for five years due to allegations of corruptions and embezzlement.

Ahmad had taken his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports to contest for his re-election. But CAS upheld FIFA’s decision to ban the Malagasy, although it was reduced from five years to two.

Although he is a businessman, Motsepe already has experience running a football body as he is the president of Mamelodi Sundowns.

And under his ownership, the Brazilians won the 2016 CAF Champions League and seven DSTV Premiership titles.