South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe was elected in Rabat, Morocco on Friday for a four-year term as head of Africa’s football governing body (CAF).
It was only a formality after the withdrawal of Augustin Senghor of Senegal, Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania and Jacques Anouma of Cote d’Ivoire.
Motsepe, 59, becomes the 8th President of the Confederation of African football, succeeding Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar.
With the election of Cyril Ramaphosa’s brother-in-law, South Africa finally takes charge of CAF, of which it is one of the four founding members.
In the past, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have already led the governing body of African football.
Motsepe was, until then, the president of Mamelodi Sundowns FC.
The Pretoria-based club is the most successful in South Africa.
The new CAF boss is one of the wealthiest in Africa, his wealth valued at $ 3 billion according to Forbes.
Motsepe, a former lawyer got rich thanks to his foray into the extractive industry.
In the early 2000s, Motsepe created companies united in a conglomerate called African Rainbow Mineral (ARM).
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