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Motsepe aims to continue 'good progress' at Caf

A headshot of Patrice Motsepe wearing tie and suit standing in front of a Confederation of African Football bannerGetty Images

Patrice Motsepe was elected president of the Confederation of African Football in March 2021

Piers Edwards
Sports writer
At
Hurghada, Egypt

Patrice Motsepe has said he is looking to secure a second term as Confederation of African Football president in order to continue the "good progress" made since he took charge in 2021.

The South African walked into a crisis-hit organisation after his predecessor, Ahmad of Madagascar, became the first Caf president to be banned by Fifa for ethics abuses, including misappropriation of funds.

Under the stewardship of Motsepe, African football's governing body – whose presidential elections are scheduled for March 2025 – appears to be moving into calmer financial waters after a turbulent period under the former regime.

"The key issue is for us to build on the legacy," said Motsepe, a mining magnate whose wealth is estimated at $3bn (£2.3bn) by Forbes.

Motsepe's decision to seek re-election was announced on Friday, just hours after Caf's general assembly had taken place in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

A press release stated that he had "finally" agreed to stand "following requests from numerous [football federation] presidents, zonal union presidents and key stakeholders".

"I was partly taken aback by the huge insistence about continuity," the 62-year-old, also the owner of South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, told BBC Sport Africa.

"There was some concern that there may not be the same degree of emphasis on governance, on ethics and the sort of fundamental changes that we've had to introduce.

"There's a lot of good, good progress that has been made, but there is still a lot of work to be done."

Motsepe is the first to declare as a candidate, with some reports suggesting that Egypt's Hany Abo Rida and former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, a four-time African Footballer of the Year, could also make bids.

Senegalese federation president Augustin Senghor is seen by some as a possible future leader, but he has welcomed Motsepe's declaration – agreeing that his istration, of which Senghor is a vice-president, took charge when "Caf was in crisis".

"He has managed to put Caf into a new era," Senghor told BBC Sport Africa.

"Africa Cups of Nations are more and more organised, we have profitability and people are giving more respect to Caf.

"We need stability and continuity to improve. When a leadership is working well, why change it">