Motsepe to become CAF president as Ahmad loses appeal

Patrice Motsepe, South Africa’s billionaire, is set to become the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after Ahmad Ahmad failed in his bid to overturn a five-year ban by FIFA.

The development comes after Jacques Anouma, Augustin Senghor and Ahmed Yahya — three of his rivals — withdrew their candidacies over the weekend.

It also comes about the same time when the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) reduced the FIFA ban placed on Ahmad from five to two years.

The 60-year-year old was banned by FIFA for five years over financial misappropriation in November 2020.

Ahmad had appealed to have his entire ban overturned so that he will be able to contest for the next CAF election which is billed to hold on March 12, in Rabat, Morocco.

“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the appeal filed by Mr Ahmad Ahmad against the decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee issued on 19 November 2020 (grounds served on 21 January 2021) (the Challenged Decision),” a statement issued on Monday by CAS read.

The Malagasy was also fined the sum of fifty thousand dollars.

“The CAS Panel has partially upheld the appeal and has reduced the length of the suspension imposed on Mr Ahmad to two years, starting today, less the period of suspension already served between 19 November 2020 and 29 January 2021, and has also reduced the fine, fixed now at CHF 50,000,” it added.

Motsepe, 59, who is Africa’s ninth-richest man, according to Forbes magazine, is now expected to take Africa’s football to a greater height.