FAM welcomes CAF president-in-waiting
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says it is excited that Patrice Motsepe, who was endorsed by Cosafa, is set to be elected Confederation of African Football (CAF) president unopposed.
The development follows the withdrawal of three other candidates who were set to contest for the CAF presidency in the March 12 elections in Morocco.
Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya, Senegalese Augustin Senghor’s and Ivory Coast’s Jacques Anouma have stepped down from the race, leaving Motsepe the only candidate.
FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said in an interview that the development shows that Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) was correct in endorsing the South African multi-billionare who owns Premier Soccer League outfit Mamelodi Sundowns.
The FAM president, who is vying for the position of Fifa Council member, said Motsepe will boost investors’ support.
“It’s a sign of unity of African football in the quest to turn around its fortunes. Sanity had to prevail. His victory signals a new beginning. It will encourge investors to support African football. Congratulations to the president-in-waiting,” he said.
The candidates have agreed, in a deal brokered by Fifa president Gianni Infantino in Mauritania at the African Under-20 Championship, to withdraw their candidacies and will serve as Motsepe’s vice-presidents.
Senghor, in a statement announcing his withdrawal, confirmed the meeting.
The statement read: “After consultations with the Senegalese authorities during the discussions in Rabat and the approval of the FSF [Senegal Football Federation]emergency committee during its meeting held on Tuesday March 2 2021, taking into account the particular context of this campaign, we have decided to accept the consensual proposal submitted to us by Fifa, Morocco and Egypt, in the name of the superior interest of the unity of African football that we have put forward in our profession of faith. “It seems to us that this is the best decision that we could take after a lucid analysis of the current situation of CAF and of the imperative need to favour a synergy of actions of all the skills to rectify it.”
