South African FA Explains Motsepe Nomination For Caf President

The SA Football Association (Safa) has endorsed Mamelodi Sundowns boss Patrice Motsepe to stand for the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) presidency.

The Caf executive committee, where Safa President Danny Jordaan serves as vice president, decided to convene a Caf ordinary and elective general assembly 2021 on 12 March 2021 in Morocco. This will mark the end of the four-year term for the president, members of the Caf executive and members of the Fifa council.

The closing date for submission of the nominations is 12 November 2020 in Cairo, Egypt (at least four months before the elections).

The candidates for the presidency must be nominated by at least one Caf-affiliated national association. Safa submitted the candidature of Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe for the position of president of Caf. The Caf president, upon being elected, automatically becomes a vice president of Fifa. At least three other Caf-affiliated national associations must support the nomination of Safa.

Caf-affiliated national associations can nominate or support only one candidate. SAFGA is therefore happy to announce that the following countries endorsed the candidate: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

According to Jordaan, the Safa national executive committee approved a round-robin resolution by an overwhelming majority to nominate Motsepe for the position of president of Caf. “His football and business success is well recorded in our continent and in the world,” said Jordaan.

“We need to build a partnership between Caf and business leaders on the continent. Building relationships and partnerships is a fundamental first to realise greater financial support for football.

“His participation in the giving pledge with global billionaires, highlights his commitment to contribute to the improvement and upliftment of the living conditions of the poor, unemployed and marginalised in Africa and globally. Motsepe’s partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation as part of Nelson Mandela’s 100-year celebration in 2018 resulted in him bringing Barcelona Football Club to play against Mamelodi Sundowns FC in front of 90 000 football spectators and the match being watched in many countries in Africa and globally,” Jordaan said.

“We are convinced that his business acumen, his strict observance of governance, his legal training, his global business network and his commitment and love for African and world football makes him a revolutionary choice for the leadership of African football.

“The post-Covid continental and global football environment require football and commercial partners to re-examine its competition offering. African football must achieve higher revenue levels for the benefit of its members. It must improve its global profile and standing in the confederation of Fifa. We believe he is the candidate that can achieve this for the benefit of African football.

“Focus Areas: The growth of women’s football technology and innovation improve Africa’s competitiveness closing the financial disparity. Strengthening zonal federations as football delivery platforms, building bridges and partnering between football, business and strengthening of governance and ethics.

“Our nomination of Patrice Motsepe moves him from the boardroom to the dressing room – recognising that in the Covid environment the dressing room cannot thrive without the boardroom,” said Jordaan.