Mamelodi Sundowns owner Patrice Motsepe will step down from his position at the club after being named CAF president at the continental assembly on Friday.
The formalities have been concluded and Motsepe has officially become the eight CAF president after being sworn in at the general assembly in Rabat, Morocco on Friday morning.
The South African billionaire had successfully fended off competition for the position from Senegal’s Augustin Senghor, Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast and Ahmed Yaya from Maurtania, who all withdrew their candidacy.
He becomes the first Southern African and English-speaking administrator to lead the continental body, but the second successive successful candidate from the COSAFA region after Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar.
See the previous CAF presidents who preceeded Motsepe in the gallery above
The 59-year-old – with a net worth, according to Forbes, of $3-billion (approx. R44.9-billion) – earlier laid out a 10-point manifesto that he will be expected to implement with urgency.
Motsepe, whose exploits and achievements as Sundowns president is well documented since taking over the Tshwane giants 17 years ago, will serve a four-year term and will be succeeded at the club by his son Tlhopie.
Motsepe’s CAF manifesto:
- Investing in developing and growing football in each African country through sponsorships, private sector and other partners
- Improving the efficiency and professionalism of CAF’s Competitions and its staff
- Implementing and adhering to governance and auditing global best practices
- Investing in African football infrastructure
- Investing in our youth and in the future of African football.
- Developing and growing women’s football
- Protecting the integrity and professionalising referees
- Establishing Video Assistant Referees (VAR).
- Statutory reforms
- Partnerships with FIFA and other Continental governing bodies.
Kickoff
