South African football administrator Patrice Motsepe is poised to be re-elected unopposed as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) during the upcoming elective congress in 2025 but he faces a few challenges.As the date for CAF’s congress approaches, no rival candidates have emerged to challenge the South African businessman, clearing the path for his second term in office.Last month, CAF officially confirmed that Motsepe had agreed to stand for re-election, following requests from various football federation presidents, zonal union leaders, and key stakeholders.##NAJAVA_MECA_8499451##Motsepe himself expressed surprise at the lack of opposition, commenting in an interview with BBC Sport Africa, “I was partly taken aback by the strong insistence on continuity. There were concerns about whether the same focus on governance, ethics and the fundamental changes we’ve introduced would continue. A lot of good progress has been made, but there is still much work to be done.”The announcement of Motsepe’s candidacy was further solidified when Hany Abo Rida, the former president of the Egyptian Football Federation and one of Motsepe’s potential rivals for the role, confirmed he would not run.Instead, Abo Rida, who is a member of both the CAF Executive Committee and the FIFA Council, chose to focus on his ambitions to reclaim the presidency of the Egyptian Football Federation.Mathare United head coach targets his players earning more Harambee Stars call-upsIn addition to the lack of challengers, another intriguing development has been the recent change in CAF’s election regulations. In October, CAF’s Executive Committee voted to remove the age limit for candidates running for elective positions.Previously, candidates over the age of 70 were disqualified from standing. This change now opens the door for older candidates, such as Abo Rida, to contest, but the Egyptian official has opted to focus on his domestic goals.Despite the absence of direct opposition, Motsepe’s second term could still be influenced by changes within the CAF leadership team.Some of Motsepe’s current vice presidents, such as Souleiman Waberi from Djibouti and Kanizat Ibrahim from Comoros, have expressed interest in running for positions on the FIFA Council. This could reshape the dynamics of CAF’s leadership after March 2025.Further changes to CAF’s internal structures could be influenced by the decision to eliminate language requirements for FIFA Council positions, potentially leading to a more competitive environment for these spots. This, in turn, could impact the composition of Motsepe’s cabinet after the elections.He is on 4 million euros per year and training alone: Origi is somewhere in ItalyCurrently, key figures in Motsepe’s leadership team include respected former CAF Exco member and former Ivorian FA President Jacques Anouma, and South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan, who was recently released on bail following an arrest on fraud and theft charges.##NAJAVA_MECA_8494751##The future composition of Motsepe’s team remains uncertain, and it is yet to be seen if the current leadership structure will be maintained.
