Motsepe unopposed: Good or bad? :: Mmegi Online

Patrice Motsepe has been given a further four years at the helm of Africa’s football body, CAF, after he was expectedly unopposed in elections held this week. The South African businessman has been credited with transforming an ailing continental body, driving it to profitability. But with two elections without opposition, is Motsepe turning CAF into a one-man show, asks Staff Writer, MQONDISI DUBE

The entrance of Motsepe as a candidate for the CAF presidency in 2021 excited a continent that has seen its football fortunes plummet under former strongman, the late Issah Hayatou of Cameroon. Towards the end of his 29-year reign, Hayatou was accused of corruption, chiefly under disgraced former FIFA boss, Sepp Blatter, as football faced its darkest moments.

Hayatou was regarded as the ‘emperor’ of football, but under his watch the distribution of the football ‘cake’ was largely skewed towards the west and north. East and Southern Africa were bystanders, with the CAF executive dominated by officials from other regions on the continent. The hosting of major CAF competitions, including the Africa Cup of Nations, increasingly became the preserve of the north and west.

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