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Patrice Motsepe transforming CAF’s finances and setting new standards for African football

Patrice Motsepe transforming CAF’s finances and setting new standards for African football
Patrice Motsepe, CAF President and Veron Mosengo-Omba CAF General Secretary during the CAF 14th Extraordinary General Assembly 2025 press conference at Cairo in Egypt on the 12 March 2025 © Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Yanga Sibembe
By Yanga Sibembe
13 Mar 2025
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Following his ascent to the position four years ago, South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe was re-elected unopposed as the boss of African soccer for another term, which will see him occupy the seat until 2029.

Granted, when he took over the reins of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidency four years ago, the standard set by Patrice Motsepe’s predecessors was basement level. Issa Hayatou was a dictator who held on to his power as president for far too long — 29 years, to be precise. 

Hayatou’s replacement Ahmad Ahmad was also embroiled in allegations of corruption and financial misappropriation — which resulted in him being banned by global soccer body Fifa for five years after it investigated the allegations against him. Ahmad had replaced Hayatou in 2017, and wasted no time dipping his fingers into the CAF cookie jar.

When Motsepe — whose family also owns South African soccer heavyweights Mamelodi Sundowns — showed interest in the CAF presidency, the logic was that he had his own wealth. As such, he would not abuse his position and power as his predecessors did. 

Having a highly successful business mind, Motsepe was also viewed as the perfect person to steer CAF to calmer waters financially. CAF had struggled to attract sponsors under the two previous presidents, which contributed to its financial woes. 

Show me the money


During its annual general meeting in October 2024, African soccer’s custodian said its finances had improved immensely under Motsepe. When he arrived, CAF's deficit was $45-million. However, he reduced it to $28.9-million during his first full year, and it was $9.2-during during the 2022/24 fiscal year.

Under Motsepe’s guidance, the prize money for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and the women’s equivalent, has also increased.

“(Nelson) Mandela used to say we always have challenges and problems that we must identify, in order to deal with them. But when there’s good work and progress, we must also take motivation and feel proud of what has been achieved,” Motsepe said at CAF’s extraordinary general meeting in Cairo on 12 March 2025. 

Motsepe receives a pennant from Fifa president Giovanni Infantino at the meeting in Cairo. (Photo: Samuel Shivambu / BackpagePix)



“Of course, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done. There are plans over the next few months and years… The real benefits of what we are doing will only be really realised over time,” Motsepe stated. 

The 63-year-old was speaking just a couple of hours before he was officially confirmed as CAF president once more, which was merely a formality as he ran unopposed. 

More work awaits


Motsepe had been implored by a number of federations on the continent to stand for re-election. In October 2024, he confirmed that he would like to remain at the helm following this unwavering support. 

“I was partly taken aback by the huge insistence about continuity,” Motsepe told BBC Sport Africa on his decision to stand for re-election. “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.”

CAF’s extraordinary meeting in Cairo also saw the six African representatives on the Fifa Council being chosen. 

Hany Abo Rida of Egypt, a member since 2009, and Fouzi Lekjaa of Morocco retained their seats. Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros), Hamidou Djibrilla Hima (Niger), Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania) and Souleymane Waberi (Djibouti) were elected for the first time.

Motsepe stopped short of saying he would not be at CAF forever — unlike Hayatou. However, he said that during his time there he hoped he could mould leaders that were good enough to build from the foundation he had laid, and would continue to lay during his second term.

Motsepe and Veron Mosengo-Omba, CAF's general secretary. (Photo: Samuel Shivambu / BackpagePix)



“My duty is to make sure there are leaders (within Caf) now, who can continue with the work of CAF (whether I am here or not). For us, it’s a legacy issue. We are honoured to be part of this legacy. There’s a revolution taking place in African football and we are privileged to be part of that revolution,” he said. 

“Part of the revolution is in the results on the field. Morocco reached the semifinals of the World Cup (in 2022). There was the success of the Afcon in Ivory Coast, which was watched by 180 nations. This has never happened. The prize money being given to the winning teams increased,” Motsepe said.

“We will continue doing well, and we will continue making progress. We have to consistently set new targets and goals,” he stated. 

Just like any organisation, Motsepe’s CAF is far from perfect. However, his presence and contributions have made it sexier globally. DM

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