By Victor Kanayo
Patrice Motsepe, a South African billionaire, has been re-elected as the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
His return followed an unopposed re-election.
Motsepe, 63, who first assumed office in 2021, had announced his intention to seek re-election in October 2024.
His second four-year term was officially confirmed during CAF’s Extraordinary General Assembly held in Cairo on Wednesday, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in attendance.
Eto’o Secures CAF Seat
Also, embattled Cameroonian Football Federation President Samuel Eto’o secured a seat on the CAF Executive Committee.
The continent’s representatives for the FIFA Council were also elected during the assembly.
Pinnick Out
Notably, Nigeria’s candidate, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, failed to secure a seat.
The outcome of the election showed that he lost out by a single vote.
Morocco, Mauritania, Djibouti In
The former NFF President scored 28 votes, one short of both Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania and Souleman Hassan Waberi of Djibouti, who each scored 29 votes to make it onto the prestigious panel.
Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa secured 49 votes, with Egypt’s Hany Abou Rida and Niger Republic’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou polling 35 votes each.
Lekjaa, Rida, Hamidou, Yahya, and Waberi will join CAF President Patrice Motsepe, unopposed for a second term as Africa’s representatives on the FIFA Council, alongside Kanizat Ibrahim from the Comoros Islands, who won the women’s seat with 30 votes. She defeated former FIFA Council and IOC member Lydia Nsekera (13 votes) and incumbent Isha Johansen (7 votes).
Andrew Kamanga (Zambia), Yacine Idriss Diallo (Côte d’Ivoire), and Augustin Senghor (Senegal) polled 19, 18, and 13 votes respectively, while Benin Republic’s Mathurin De Chacus withdrew just before the vote.
Stand Down Before Poll
In the CAF Executive Committee elections, Alfred Randriamanampisoa (Madagascar) withdrew before the vote, leaving Elvis Chetty (Seychelles), Sobha Mohamed Ally Samir (Mauritius), and Feizal Ismael Sidat (Mozambique) to contest for two COSAFA seats. In the end, Sobha Samir and Feizal Sidat were successful.
Unopposed in their respective CAF positions were Wallace Karia (CECAFA, Tanzania), Samuel Eto’o (UNIFFAC, Cameroon), Mustapha Ishola Raji (WAFU A, Liberia), Kurt Edwin-Simeon Okraku (WAFU B, Ghana), Sadhi Walid (UNAF), and Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Female Seat, DR Congo).
