‘Troubled’ Ahmad Ahmad congratulates Patrice Motsepe after clinching CAF top job

Beleaguered former CAF President Dr. Ahmad Ahmad has sent a congratulatory message to his successor Patrice Motsepe.

Motsepe defied all the odds to ascend the throne of the continent’s football governing body President in Rabat on Friday, March 12, 2021.

Ahmad took to social media to send a goodwill message to the South African business mogul.

“Congratulations to Patrice #Motsepe on his election as head of the @CAF_Online. Leading African #football is a huge task, and I wish him every success for the good of #Africa. Good luck to him. ⚽️

Motsepe takes over an organization still reeling after Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad became the first CAF president to be banned by FIFA last November, with a five-year suspension for "governance issues" cut to two years on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Just a few weeks ago, Motsepe, Ivorian Jacques Anouma, Mauritanian Ahmed Yahya, and Senegalese Augustin Senghor were locked in an intriguing struggle for the presidency.

But FIFA-brokered meetings of the contenders in Morocco and Mauritania led to Motsepe becoming the sole candidate. Senghor and Yahya were given the first and second vice-president roles.

Motsepe is the ninth-richest man in Africa with a personal wealth estimated at $2.9 billion (2.4 billion euros) by Forbes magazine. He owns 2016 CAF Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns.

Congratulations to Patrice #Motsepe on his election as head of the @CAF_Online. Leading African #football is a huge task, and I wish him every success for the good of #Africa. Good luck to him. ⚽️

— Ahmad Ahmad (@AAhmad_CAF) March 12, 2021