CAF elections: Motsepe unopposed, Eto'o back in the running and a fight for FIFA Council seats

All eyes are on Cairo. On 12 March, at the governing body's headquarters, the Confederation of African Football will renew its executive committee. Patrice Motsepe, CAF president since 2021, will be re-elected unopposed for a second four-year term, a scenario in line with the wishes of FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino.

Motsepe, re-elected by acclamation

The South African businessman will continue his rule without the slightest challenge. His rise to power in 2021 was engineered through the now-famous "Rabat protocol", pushed by FIFA, which wanted to avoid infighting at CAF. Today, the absence of rivals confirms that trend and the continuing influence of Gianni Infantino over African football. Under Motsepe, CAF has strengthened its financial stability, as the figures from the 2023 AFCON in Côte d'Ivoire showed, and has also launched the African Super League. But that competition already seems to have been shelved, for lack of funding. Other major challenges remain for CAF's leadership, notably broadcasting rights, the growth of club and youth competitions, and the development of women's football.

Samuel Eto'o the disruptor

While Motsepe will, unsurprisingly, be re-elected by acclamation, one of the main surprises of this election concerns Samuel Eto'o. The president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) had been excluded from the race over suspicions linked to conflicts of interest and his contested running of Fecafoot. But on 7 March, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned that decision, allowing the former Barcelona striker to stand for a seat on the executive committee.

His reinstatement could shake up the balance of power within CAF, where Eto'o, who is very influential, is seen as a key figure in the renewal of African football. His outspokenness and ambition could, however, earn him a few enemies among the incumbent officials, who are not keen on overly radical change.

Intense fight for Africa's FIFA Council seats

But beyond the places on CAF's executive committee, elections will also be held for the six African seats on the FIFA Council, and they are attracting plenty of interest. This highly influential post, which comes with an annual salary of 250,000 dollars, has been the subject of behind-the-scenes horse-trading for weeks. Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco) and Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania), who are close to Infantino, are among those tipped to win seats.

Read also: Alliances, pressure and betrayals over Africa's seats on the FIFA Council

The seat reserved for women is particularly hotly contested among three candidates. First, Isha Johansen (Sierra Leone), backed by former FIFA executives. Then Lydia Nsekera (Burundi), a former IOC member, and Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros), who has the support of several French-speaking federations. Plenty of negotiations are going on behind the scenes to determine who the six African representatives will be, and the talks could go down to the wire.