Motsepe pleads with African states to invest in infrastructure

After being elected unopposed as Caf president on Wednesday for a second four-year term spanning 2025 to 2029, Patrice Motsepe pleaded with presidents on the continent to invest in football infrastructure. 

Motsepe, who has been hailed by many for bringing stability to the organisation, was re-elected during Caf’s 14th extraordinary general assembly in Cairo on Wednesday. 

Infrastructure is one of the biggest problems on the continent as most countries cannot host international matches at home because their stadiums do not meet required standards set by Fifa and Caf. 

Next week, Benin will host Bafana Bafana in a 2025 Fifa World Cup qualifier in Ivory Coast because they don’t have a suitable home venue in Benin’s capital of Porto-Novo that meets the stringent standards. 

In the Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup interclub competitions, teams often complain about the poor standards of training and playing conditions, accommodation and road and air transportation. 

Motsepe said though African countries have other issues to deal with, he believes investing in sport has financial benefits. 

“Many heads of state I meet tell me: ‘We have small money and what is worse is our economies have experienced periods of difficulty and whatever money we have is for paying loans,’” Motsepe said after his re-election was confirmed. 

“They say, ‘We ask ourselves, should we take the money to build a stadium or a hospital or [put it to] education?’

“One of the things we are doing as African football is to present a case and convince the heads of states to understand that investing in a stadium, spending money on football development and football infrastructure is enormously beneficial for the economic development of Africa. 

“It made me proud to hear from the head of state of Ivory Coast that an independent study found the country benefited to the value of $1.5bn (R27.5bn) from [hosting] Afcon [2024’s Africa Cup of Nations].” 

Motsepe said developing infrastructure would help to improve the game on the continent to compete against the best in the world. 

“On Monday I spent at least an hour with each of the zonal unions and in the meeting I emphasised how we can continue to get better and grow African football to be as good as the best in the world. 

“In Africa we have a group of countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Senegal, SA, Tunisia and others whose ambitions are to compete against the best in the world. 

“To play in the Fifa World Cup and try to win it, some have got resources and support from the private sector.

“A second group comprises some of the nations where there is love for football but the support of government is not as strong as it can be. It is not because the government doesn’t like football, but their budgets are limited.” 

Motsepe was first elected Caf president at the general assembly in Joburg in 2021.