CAF president Patrice Motsepe has moved to silence growing concerns over bias within African football’s governing body, declaring in unequivocal terms that no member association will ever be given preferential treatment over another.
Speaking at a press briefing in Senegal, Motsepe was direct.
“Under no circumstances will any single country in Africa be treated more preferential, more advantageous, or more favorable than any other country. That will never happen.”
The remarks come at a sensitive moment for CAF. Motsepe recently travelled to Morocco to meet with football authorities and government officials following tensions sparked by the body’s ruling on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title — a decision that has put the organisation under significant scrutiny.
But standing before the press in Dakar, Motsepe was not on the defensive. He was staking a position.
“We are very clear we have a big duty to African football and its continued global respect,” he said.
It is a duty, he insisted, that CAF takes seriously — not because of politics, but because of the people the organisation ultimately answers to.
“We derive our credibility and respect from the 1.6 billion football spectators and fans on the continent, and the hundreds of millions of people throughout the world who are honoured to watch African football,” he said. “We take cognizance and are committed to this obligation.”
