Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe is reportedly facing growing pressure, with concerns over his leadership mounting as former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o and other officials emerge as potential successors.
According to the UK newspaper The Guardian, concerns over Motsepe’s leadership have intensified following his decision to reverse CAF’s plan to stage the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every four years and return the tournament to a two-year cycle.
The report by Ed Aarons and Romain Molina said the proposed return to a biennial AFCON schedule is expected to be confirmed at CAF’s executive committee meeting in Abidjan next month.
The reversal came 10 months after CAF decided to hold the tournament every four years.
Although the proposed change was reportedly supported by many across the continent, several sources raised concerns about trust in CAF’s leadership and Motsepe’s management.
“Most national association presidents are said to have been unaware Motsepe intended to announce the proposed change to Afcon’s frequency until the issue was raised at a strategic conference in Cape Verde last week,” the report stated.
Motsepe has also confirmed that he does not intend to seek a third term when his tenure expires in 2029.
At the conference in Cape Verde, the CAF president pledged Africa’s “unconditional support” for FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s re-election in March, saying he spoke on behalf of all 54 CAF member associations with their “unanimous” backing.
The Guardian reported that Infantino remained popular in Africa, although between 10 and 15 member associations were said to be considering voting against him, as revealed in August.
Eto’o, who played for Barcelona and Inter Milan, is among those reportedly positioning themselves as potential successors to Motsepe. He currently heads Cameroon’s football federation and is a member of CAF’s executive committee.
Other potential contenders named in the report are Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania, Yacine Idriss Diallo of Côte d’Ivoire and Souleiman Waberi, a FIFA Council member from Djibouti.
The Guardian reported that Waberi had been charged with embezzlement and money laundering, allegations he denied. It added that other candidates could emerge from southern Africa.
According to the report, Motsepe’s potential rivals were believed to be seeking Infantino’s approval should the South African billionaire be persuaded to leave office before the end of his term.
“Sources indicate that Infantino could hold the key to whether Motsepe continues,” the report stated.
Another option would be to challenge Motsepe through CAF’s statutory mechanisms. Under the rules, an extraordinary general assembly can be convened following a written request from at least two-thirds of the executive committee’s members.
The Guardian also reported that Infantino was believed to have fallen out with Motsepe after the CAF president allowed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate in UEFA’s Super Cup final in August.
Artan had been denied entry to the United States for the 2026 World Cup amid growing tensions with European football’s governing body.
However, sources told the newspaper that the relationship between Infantino and Motsepe had improved in recent weeks as the FIFA president sought to consolidate his support in Africa.
At the Cape Verde conference, Motsepe promised annual distributions of about $700,000 (£528,000) from CAF to each member association, an increase of $500,000.
He was also understood to have increased payments to executive committee members for attending meetings from $150 to $350 and introduced an annual bonus of about $8,000 for them.
The reported payments came amid concerns about CAF’s finances and the future of its broadcast arrangements.
The Guardian said a broadcast deal signed with IMG was due to expire after the 2027 AFCON.
In a report published in February, the newspaper had raised doubts about whether the 2027 tournament would go ahead as scheduled, citing questions about the readiness of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to host the competition in June and July.
Some sources were predicting that the tournament could be moved to Christmas and the new year, a change that would disrupt the European club season.
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CAF was also believed to have received broadcast offers for future tournaments from IMG and an unnamed company. However, the structure of the package and the effect of returning to a two-year AFCON cycle on its commercial value remained unclear.
A CAF spokesperson told The Guardian that the process was ongoing and that no broadcast rights had been awarded.
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