May 25 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will restaff key positions within the organisation after a number of high-profile dismissals including director of legal affairs and compliance Achta Mahamat Saleh and head of finance Sheriff Elkhadem on Monday.
The number of dismissals at CAF HQ in Cairo remains unclear, but the exit of chief of staff to the CAF president Abdullah Moustapha, Saleh, Elkhadem, head of IT Mohammed Salem and director of human resources Marwa Hosam Eldin have been confirmed.
Last week, CAF held a meeting of its executive committee in Kigali, Rwanda, with president Patrice Motsepe conceding that sponsors don’t want to engage with the confederation because the toxic organisation has to “clean its house”.
Following a new interim audit by PwC that was presented to the executive committee, Motsepe revealed that CAF’s reputation is such that potential new sponsors are frightened away by the prospect of legal entanglements. There was no indication however of impending and sweeping personnel changes.
Since Motsepe was crowned CAF president by acclamation in March, the South African has seemingly spent his first months in office crisscrossing the continent to prop up his plans for a schools competition and meeting with heads of state, without seemingly addressing the governing body’s most urgent needs and existential problems. But Monday’s round of sackings is a sign that Motsepe, who has always enjoyed the support of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, is tightening his grip on the organisation.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1734922455labto1734922455ofdlr1734922455owedi1734922455sni@o1734922455fni1734922455