In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe has discussed his ambitions for African football and his tenure as CAF president. He also rejected accusations of defamation from Cameroon’s football federation president Samuel Eto’o and responded to allegations of sexual abuse involving several youth football team coaches in Gabon.
Motsepe stated that one of his objectives is for an African team to win the next World Cup in 2026. According to him, the most recent Africa Cup of Nations, which was held in Ivory Coast earlier this year, was “the most successful in the history of African football”. It brought in $80 million, saw a doubling of sponsor numbers and attracted over 2 billion television viewers worldwide, he said.
The CAF president explained that he found “fundamental problems” when he arrived as the head of the confederation in 2021, particularly in terms of “governance, auditing [and] transparency”. He has noted that his mission involves ensuring that CAF regains the trust of sponsors and partners.
Patrice Motsepe also shared his thoughts on speculations of his intentions to run for presidency.
When asked about his intentions on his willingness to run for President of South Africa, Motsepe mentioned that there are others who will do a much better job than he ever can. He added that one of the biggest problems that his home country, South Africa is facing is corruption. He further called for a prosecutorial and a judicial system that runs on integrity. “When you take action against some of the big names (…) you send a message that indeed, nobody is above the law,” Motsepe said.
Motsepe, brother-in-law of South Africa’s current President, Cyril Ramaphosa is said to be one of Africa’s richest men.
He continued that politically unpopular measures need to be out in place by authorities, including himself to ensure a successful future of his home country.
He finally called for the unity of all South Africans, laying emphasis on deliberate plans to help the poor through education and creation of jobs.
As to whether he will again run for CAF president next year, Motsepe has said that one of his objectives is to establish a solid foundation and leadership team, so that he can be replaced if necessary. But he did not rule out running for a second term, insisting that the “good work” done must not go to waste.
Source: www.france24.com ,
