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Africa News of Saturday, 6 March 2021

Source: punchng.com

Motsepe set to become new CAF boss as opponents withdraw from polls

Patrice Motsepe is set to become the eighth President of the Confederation of African Football Patrice Motsepe is set to become the eighth President of the Confederation of African Football

Patrice Motsepe is set to become the eighth President of the Confederation of African Football after his opponents at the March 12 polls withdrew from the race and threw their weight behind the South African billionaire businessman.

The other three contestants: Ivory Coast’s Jacques Anouma, Senegal’s Augustin Senghor and Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania pulled out of the race to become the next president of CAF.

This follows reports that the trio had agreed, in a deal brokered by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, to withdraw their candidacies in a meeting in Rabat, Morocco last weekend.

Anouma, Senghor and Yahya will sign an agreement in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, in the presence of Infantino on Saturday (today).

They will agree to give up their bids in exchange for the post of advisor and two vice-presidencies respectively.

“After several reflections and consultations, I decided to give up my candidacy for the election to the presidency of CAF,” Anouma said on Friday.

Anouma reportedly agreed to a role as Motsepe’s adviser.

Senghor, in a statement announcing his withdrawal, confirmed the meeting, where it was agreed that he and Yahya would serve as Motsepe’s vice-presidents.

“The parties also agreed that the final agreement should be concluded in Nouakchott (in Mauritania) on the sidelines of the CAN U-2O (Africa U-20 Cup of Nations) final on Saturday March 6, 2021,” Senghor stated.

“ … The withdrawal of my candidacy for the presidency of CAF for the benefit of another candidate will not be shared by all for various reasons, I am aware of this. But I think it’s a good decision, the right decision.

“Achieving the objective of a strong, united, more efficient and more attractive CAF is worth all the sacrifices, even that of renouncing legitimate personal ambitions in favour of collective and participatory leadership, the only guarantee of a rebirth of CAF expected by all Africans.”

Motsepe is thus set to succeed the Madagascan Ahmad Ahmad, who has been banned by FIFA for five years over “governance issues.”
According to the world football body, Ahmad, who overthrew the 29-year reign of Issa Hayatou in 2017, had “breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF president.”

FIFA also fined Ahmad 200,000 Swiss Francs for misdeeds, which related to “the organisation and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca” and his involvement in CAF’s dealings with a sports equipment company.

Ahmad’s appeal against his ban will be heard from Tuesday at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, but even if he succeeds in CAS, it may be too late for him to enter the presidential race.

Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick, from the onset, backed Motsepe, the Mamelodi Sundowns owner and mining magnate.

Motsepe, alongside SAFA president Danny Jordaan and Pinnick, travelled the continent on a massive campaign.

He was also backed by the influential COSAFA president Phillip Chiyangwa and TP Mazembe owner Moise Katumbi.