Mamelodi Sundowns chief Motsepe to contest Caf presidency, Pinnick stands down

Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Patrice Motsepe has confirmed his intention to challenge Ahmad Ahmad for the presidency of the Confederation of African Football ahead of March’s elections.

However, speaking to BBC Sport, Nigeria Football Federation chief Amaju Pinnick has confirmed that he’s opted not to contest the presidency, instead offering his support for would-be rival Motsepe.

The 58-year-old South African has been named by Forbes as Africa’s tenth richest man, with a personal fortune worth an estimated $2.4 billion, having initially made his wealth in mining having begun his career as a lawyer.

In order to clinch the Caf presidency, however, he will have to defeat both Ahmad and Jacques Anouma of Cote d’Ivoire, with the former declaring his intention to re-stand and the latter also throwing his hat into the ring on Saturday.

Anouma has experience on Fifa’s Executive Committee, and will likely generate a considerable Francophone vote after being backed by the Ivorian Football Federation.

Motsepe’s decision was announced in a press conference on Monday, and while the man himself was not present, South Africa Football Association president Danny Jordaan revealed his backing for the Sundowns chief.

"Caf must improve its global standing," Jordaan told journalists, as per BBC Sport.

"He is the most appropriate person we could offer for the leadership of Caf."

Motsepe is an unlikely candidate for the Caf presidency, as he has not previously had a role in the governance of the African game. However, he is eligible to stand by virtue of receiving Safa’s backing and for his track record at the helm of Downs, having held the reins at the club since 2004.

The initial optimism that greeted Ahmad’s arrival at the helm of the African game, when he defeated Issa Hayatou in March 2017’s elections, has given way to allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

It remains to be seen whether the 60-year-old will be eligible to contest the 2021 elections as a potential ban—a result of allegedly breaching various Fifa ethic codes—hangs over his head.

“He has more superior qualities than me,” NFF chief Pinnick told BBC Sport Africa, confirming his intention not to run for office. “It's not about me, it's about African football."

“If you have someone with superior qualities, you have to learn from him and queue behind him and wait for your time."