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South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe has announced his agenda if he is voted in as president in the upcoming Confederation of African Football (CAF) elections.
Motsepe plans to introduce video assistant referees, improve TV broadcasting of matches, build at least one FIFA-standard stadium in each country and attract investors to African football.
The mining mogul has garnered support from various quarters as a preferred candidate, including FIFA. Besoccer reported that the international football governing body wants a fresh face in the CAF presidency, unhampered by reputational issues, in order to attract investors and sponsors.
Motsepe has already made plans as to who he will visit once he is elected president, according to theafricareport. Topping the list is Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne. Total has been a leading partner of the CAF since 2016. “He’s a friend, we know each other, we’re part of the World Economic Forum,” Motsepe was quoted as saying. The South African businessman also stressed that he will not introduce any ideas into the CAF that could turn business associates into enemies.
Motsepe also prefers to make the Africa Cup of Nations a biennial event and does not plan to move its headquarters from Cairo to Johannesburg.
Motsepe gained further confidence in his presidential run after his three competitors stepped down to rally around him. They include Augustin Senghor from Senegal, Ahmad Yahya from Mauritania and Jacques Anouma from Ivory Coast.
According to The Herald, FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently brokered a deal that could see Senghor and Yahya take the first and second vice president roles. Meanwhile, Motsepe also traveled to Morocco to conclude the deal with both men, who welcomed the proposal. However, Anouma was offered an advisory role to Motsepe.
Although he is not a veteran of the football business, the Mamelodi Sundowns FC, which he owns, has built a strong name for itself after winning the continental championship in 2016.
