Caf accused of bypassing consultation on four-year Afcon cycle

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has been accused of pushing through its decision to stage the Africa Cup of Nations every four years without properly consulting its member federations, several federation presidents told the Guardian. Some presidents said they were not informed until the change was announced by Caf president Patrice Motsepe on 20 December and accused the confederation of breaching its statutes by failing to seek approval at a general assembly.

The Guardian understands discussions were initially limited to a small group within the executive committee, then to ExCo members, with a full ExCo meeting held in Morocco the day before Motsepe confirmed the switch; the change is said to take effect from 2028. A Caf spokesperson denied an earlier ExCo meeting the Guardian reported had taken place, and several presidents said they learned only through rumours.

Caf said ExCo members unanimously voted for the change and that the president subsequently briefed the 54 member associations and allowed questions and answers, citing article 23.10 of its statutes that says the ExCo "shall be the supreme authority for all matters concerning Caf competitions." That interpretation is disputed by legal and governance experts with experience of Caf, who say the general assembly remains the supreme authority and that any act adopted ultra vires by the ExCo would be legally invalid.

Key Topics

Sports, Caf, Afcon, Patrice Motsepe, Caf Exco, Gianni Infantino