CAF president Motsepe and FIFA president Infantino | CAF website
The leadership of Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe is facing growing pressure, with football officials across the continent reportedly losing trust in him and potential challengers, including former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, positioning themselves to replace him.
UK’s The Guardian reported on Tuesday, that concerns over Motsepe’s leadership had intensified following his decision to reverse CAF’s plan to stage the Africa Cup of Nations every four years and return the tournament to a two-year cycle.
According to the report by Ed Aarons and Romain Molina, the proposed return to a biennial AFCON cycle is expected to be confirmed at CAF’s executive committee meeting in Abidjan next month.
The reversal came 10 months after the decision was taken to hold the competition every four years.
The Guardian reported that although the proposed change was said to enjoy wide support across Africa, several sources had 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 also confirmed that he did not intend to seek a third term when his tenure expires in 2029.
At the conference in Cape Verde, he pledged Africa’s “unconditional support” for FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s re-election in March, saying he spoke on the “unanimous” behalf of all 54 CAF member associations.
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, other officials linked with CAF presidency
Eto’o, the former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker, is among those reportedly positioning themselves as potential successors to Motsepe.
Eto’o is currently president of Cameroon’s football federation and 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.
The report said 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.
It added that another option would be to challenge Motsepe through CAF’s statutory mechanisms, under which an extraordinary general assembly can be convened following a written request from at least two-thirds of the executive committee’s members.
Infantino relationship, CAF finances under scrutiny
The Guardian 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 payment 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 because of 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.
CAF was also believed to have received broadcast offers for future tournaments from IMG and an unnamed company, although the structure of the package and the effect of a return 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.