CAF Presidential Candidate Motsepe Pledges to Protect Morocco’s Football Interests

"All these rumors are not true," Patrice Motsepe hammered, swearing to preserve Morocco’s interests in the event of his election to the head of the African football governing body, reports the daily Assabah, adding that through these remarks, the South African intends to seduce the kingdom, which is one of the heavyweights on the African football scene and whose support could benefit one of the three other candidates from Mauritania, Senegal and Ivory Coast, all very close to Rabat.

This declaration of good intent not reassuring the kingdom, Moroccan diplomacy has taken steps. Thus, last Wednesday, Nasser Bourita received the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, to obtain some guarantees, especially regarding the Moroccan Sahara issue, since for a few years "enemy powers" have vied to give a seat within the CAF to the "SADR". Currently, Morocco is more wary, following the rapprochement between the South African and the President of the Algerian Football Federation, Khaîreddine Zetchi, to whom he would have promised a seat on the CAF Executive Committee.

The elections for the CAF presidency are scheduled on the sidelines of the confederation’s General Assembly, the daily recalls, stressing that the President of the FRMF, Fouzi Lekjaa, will watch over the interests of the kingdom in this election.