Confederation of African Football (Caf) President Patrice Motsepe has maintained the future of the game in Africa is still bright.
Speaking during the 45th Caf Ordinary General Assembly in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on Wednesday, the South African said: “We’ve always believed that the success and growth of football on the African Continent is dependent on the success and growth of football in each Member Association country,” adding: “Building partnerships with sponsors, investors, and Governments is essential for the competitiveness and growth of football in each African country.”
Motsepe gave a good example of the increase in prize money for all major Caf competitions by saying: “The prize monies of all major Caf competitions have been increased significantly over the past two years and this has contributed to improving the quality and competitiveness of our competitions.”
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On youth and school, he said: “The first African Schools Football Championship finals for Boys and Girls, was a huge success and took place in South Africa during April 2023,” adding: “Over 400 000 Boys and Girls from 41 countries participated in this championship. We expect a significant increase in the number of schools that will participate in the African Schools Football Championship 2023-24.”
On women’s football, Motsepe said: “Nigeria, Zambia, Morocco, and South Africa are the African nations that have qualified for the Fifa Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. For the first time in the history of African Women’s football, Caf is contributing and assisting these nations with financial and technical support.”