The answer to “who is the president of african football association” is Patrice Motsepe, who leads the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The South African businessman was re-elected in 2025 for a second four-year term, which is scheduled to run through 2029.
Here’s what his role covers, how CAF’s leadership works, and why the organization matters to African soccer. You’ll also find a clear distinction between the CAF president and FIFA’s president, plus a quick guide to the competitions and decisions under CAF’s authority.
Who is the president of african football association?
Patrice Motsepe is the president of the Confederation of African Football. CAF is the continental governing body for soccer in Africa. Motsepe first took office on March 12, 2021, and was re-elected on March 12, 2025. His second term is scheduled to end in 2029.
The phrase “African football association” can be confusing because it may sound like the name of one national organization. The body people usually mean is CAF, whose full name is the Confederation of African Football. It represents national soccer associations across the continent and organizes major African competitions.
Motsepe is South African and is known as a businessman and the founder of African Rainbow Minerals. His role as CAF president is separate from running a national team or a club. He leads the continental governing body, working with its executive committee, member associations, and administrative staff.
What does the CAF president do?
The president provides leadership for CAF and represents the organization in public and international football matters. The job involves more than appearing at finals or announcing decisions. It includes guiding policy, chairing or leading parts of the organization’s governance, and working with the people responsible for competitions and administration.
CAF’s responsibilities cover continental competitions, regulations, development programs, and relationships with national associations. The president helps set the organization’s direction, but CAF’s work is not carried out by one person alone. Decisions and operations involve formal bodies, staff, and member associations.
Competition leadership and oversight
CAF organizes or oversees major tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the CAF Champions League, and the CAF Confederation Cup. It also administers competitions for women’s national teams, youth teams, and other formats of the game. These tournaments require rules, calendars, disciplinary procedures, and coordination with participating associations and clubs.
The president’s office provides leadership at the top level, but tournament details are handled through CAF’s structures. Match officials, committees, administrators, and competition organizers all have defined responsibilities. That distinction matters: a president’s public comments do not automatically replace a formal regulation or a decision made by the appropriate body.
Working with national associations
CAF’s members are national football associations. They govern the sport in their own countries and connect domestic football to continental and international structures. The CAF president must work with these members, whose needs and priorities can differ widely.
That work can include discussions about development, facilities, refereeing, youth football, women’s football, and competition standards. It also includes listening to member associations and representing shared continental interests in wider football conversations. The president can influence priorities, but each national association remains responsible for football within its own jurisdiction.
How is the CAF president chosen?
The CAF president is elected by the CAF Congress, the organization’s assembly of member associations. Each association participates through the congress process, which gives national members a formal role in choosing the organization’s leadership. Elections are governed by CAF’s statutes and election rules.
Motsepe was elected in 2021 and won re-election in 2025. A re-election means he remains in the role for another term; it does not mean he was appointed by FIFA or chosen by a national government. CAF’s own member-based governance process determines its president.
- Member associations form the electorate. CAF’s national association members take part in Congress under the applicable rules.
- Candidates are considered under CAF’s election framework. Eligibility and nomination requirements are set by CAF’s governing documents.
- The Congress holds the election. The voting process determines who leads CAF for the next term.
- The elected president works within CAF’s governance structure. The role is important, but it does not give one individual unlimited authority over every decision.
For readers following a particular election, check the date and the official result rather than relying on old biographies. Leadership details can become outdated after a congress, and headlines may describe a candidate or election campaign before voting has taken place.
CAF president vs. FIFA president: what’s the difference?
The CAF president leads African soccer’s continental governing body. The FIFA president leads FIFA, the global governing organization for the sport. They have different jurisdictions, responsibilities, and member structures, even though their organizations work together on some issues.
CAF is one of FIFA’s continental confederations. Its president represents the African confederation, while FIFA’s president represents the global body. A CAF president does not automatically become FIFA president, and the two jobs are not interchangeable.
| Role or organization | Main area of responsibility | Examples of work | Best way to identify it |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAF president | Soccer across Africa | CAF leadership and continental competitions | Patrice Motsepe holds this role |
| FIFA president | Soccer worldwide | Global governance and FIFA competitions | Leads FIFA, not CAF |
| National association president | Soccer in one country | National teams and domestic administration | Represents a country’s football association |
This distinction is useful when a news story mentions a meeting or announcement involving both organizations. A decision about a CAF tournament belongs to CAF’s structures, while a FIFA competition or global rule may involve FIFA. Some topics require coordination, but the organizations are not the same.
What competitions does CAF oversee?
CAF is best known to many fans for the Africa Cup of Nations, commonly called AFCON. It also oversees club competitions and tournaments for different groups of players. Competition formats and schedules can change, so the current CAF calendar is the best reference for a specific edition.
- Africa Cup of Nations: A major competition for African men’s national teams.
- Women’s Africa Cup of Nations: CAF’s leading senior women’s national-team competition.
- CAF Champions League: A top continental club competition.
- CAF Confederation Cup: Another major men’s club competition, with a different entry pathway and competition structure.
- Youth competitions: Tournaments for national teams in age-group categories.
- Other formats: CAF also oversees competitions and programs in areas such as futsal and beach soccer.
CAF’s responsibilities include setting competition regulations and coordinating with national associations and clubs. The exact participants, qualification routes, and dates depend on the competition edition. Do not assume that a format from one season applies unchanged to the next.
What the president’s title does not mean
A common misconception is that the CAF president personally controls every match, team selection, or disciplinary outcome. That is not how a large sports governing body works. Decisions are made through rules and designated processes, and different committees or administrators handle specific responsibilities.
The president also does not select national-team squads. Coaches and national team officials make those choices under their association’s authority. Clubs, meanwhile, handle their own players and team operations, subject to competition rules and applicable regulations.
Nor does being CAF president mean Motsepe leads all African sports. CAF governs soccer in its continental sphere. Other sports have their own international and African organizations, and national associations may have separate structures for each sport.
Practical tip: If a report says “CAF has decided,” look for the named committee, congress, or official announcement behind the decision. That helps distinguish a formal ruling from a president’s comment, a proposal, or media speculation.
Why the CAF president matters to fans
The president can shape the priorities and public direction of African soccer. Leadership choices may affect how CAF approaches competition organization, development, governance, and its working relationships with member associations. Those subjects influence the environment in which national teams and clubs compete.
However, a president’s influence is not the same as direct control over every result or operational detail. A match result is decided on the field, while disciplinary cases and administrative matters follow the relevant rules. Keeping those lines clear makes football news easier to interpret.
Fans may also hear the president mentioned during discussions about tournament scheduling, hosting, infrastructure, or the future of competitions. These subjects can involve multiple stakeholders, including CAF committees, host countries, local organizing bodies, clubs, and national associations. A public statement may signal a priority without, by itself, changing the rules or schedule.
How to check whether CAF leadership information is current
Leadership pages and old articles can remain online long after an election. To verify the current president, look for an official CAF announcement or an up-to-date CAF leadership page, and compare its date with the latest CAF Congress. This is especially useful if a search result gives no publication date.
Use the same care with a term’s end date. Motsepe’s 2025 re-election began a new four-year term scheduled through 2029, but a current election notice or official CAF information is the strongest source for any later change. Avoid treating an old campaign article as a current leadership record.
It also helps to check the organization named in the article. “CAF president” refers to the continental body; “FIFA president” refers to the global governing body; and a country’s football association president leads a national organization. A quick check of the full title prevents a common mix-up.
Patrice Motsepe is the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Re-elected in March 2025, he is scheduled to serve through 2029, leading the continental organization rather than FIFA or a single national association.
For current leadership news, check CAF’s latest official information and note the date of the announcement. When a story describes a decision, look for the committee or governing process responsible for it.