Safa punts Motsepe for CAF president

PATRICE Motsepe, pictured, will become the most powerful man in African football should he win the election for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidency but he will have to abandon his position as boss of Mamelodi Sundowns to avoid a conflict of interest.

In a bid to bring a breath of fresh air to African football, the SA Football Association (Safa) yesterday nominated billionaire and philanthropist Motsepe as a candidate for the CAF presidency.

The Minister of Sport Nathi Mthethwa endorsed the nomination.

However, the 58-year-old Motsepe will face stiff competition. Current CAF president Ahmad Ahmad will be running for a second term after ending the long run of Cameroonian football administrator Issa Hayatou in 2017, while Ivorian and former Fifa executive committee member Jacques Anouma is also in the race.

The Ordinary and Elective General Assembly of CAF is scheduled to be held in Morocco in March.

A win for Motsepe could mean the world for South Africa and African football, but it could be a two-edged sword for Sundowns. If he wins, he will have to step down as Sundowns’ boss “from a governance standpoint”, Safa president Danny Jordaan explained.

For comment, Motsepe was a noshow as he’s in quarantine at home after coming in contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid-19.

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