Questions around choice of Motsepe

The nomination by South African Football Association (Safa) of Patrice Motsepe as their candidate to take over as president of the Confederation of Football (CAF) was made official on Monday, but it remains to be seen how much of a chance he has of leading the continental game.

Nigerian Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick said he was “100%” sure Motsepe would be the next president, but his is currently one of only three national associations – Sierra Leone and Botswana are the others – backing Safa.

Motsepe’s nomination also appeared hastily delivered, just a few days before CAF’s deadline, when Safa were notified in September of CAF’s decision to host an elective congress in Morocco in March.

Motsepe’s business acumen and love of football could make him a fine prospect to bring more money into the continental game, but there is the question of his vested interest, the club he has financed into a continental powerhouse, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Would Motsepe give Sundowns up to take over at CAF, as he would surely have to do to be a neutral leader on the continent? Motsepe was absent from Monday’s announcement after coming into contact with Covid-19. Yet it was bizarre that the man who would be CAF president didn’t send a voice message to proclaim his candidacy.

Until we hear from him, it is hard to know how serious this candidacy really is.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.