MOTSEPE IS THE REAL DEAL
AFRICAN football unity has long been a source of concern for world soccer’s governing body, Fifa (International Federation of Association Football).
There is every prospect of that concern being addressed at CAF’s (Confederation of African Football) presidential election in Rabat, Morocco, on March 12, if delegates vote for a leader who exemplifies integrity, inspiration and sound governance.
These are some of the characteristics Fifa hopes African football will embrace so that it becomes a force on the world stage.
There are African players who over time have earned the respect of world football. Names like George Weah, Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba and Abedi Pele come to mind. Off the field, however, African football teams have struggled to make the same impact.
The Caf presidency stakes is a four-man race that includes Jacques Anouma (Ivory Coast), Augustin Senghor (Senegal), Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania) and the outright favourite Patrice Motsepe (South Africa).
Motsepe is ready to put building blocks in place for a new dispensation, which will address African football’s most pressing needs. The lack of revenue and the poor performance of African teams on the international stage are the biggest concerns.
About heading up CAF, Motsepe would have been well versed by his canvassing team which included South Africa’s Fifa World Cup bid experts Irvin Khosa and Danny Jordaan, who has been heading his election campaign. Khosa knows a thing or two about raising revenue and heads up the Premier Soccer League which is Africa’s richest professional league. Jordaan, a CAF vice-president, is a walking encyclopaedia on African football facts.
Football and politics are intrinsically linked. It is public knowledge that the government instructed South Africa’s 2006 bid delegation who to vote for. Insiders will tell you that apart from governments, national intelligence agencies have also in the past decided who their countries will vote for. Despite the global economic downturn, Motsepe, a mining billionaire, is ideally placed to attract major sponsorships. CAF needs transformational leadership more than ever. Motsepe is the real deal, offering strategic thinking, innovation, and action.