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Rabat – Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe says African football is now closer than ever to producing a FIFA World Cup champion, describing the continent’s performances at the 2026 tournament as encouraging.
Speaking during a press conference, Motsepe hailed Africa’s representatives at the just concluded World Cup while insisting the continent’s ambitions now go beyond simply competing on the world stage.
“We are very proud of what these national teams achieved,” Motsepe said. “Personally, I am extremely proud, and African football as a whole should be proud. They performed very well, but at the same time we set ourselves high standards and even greater ambitions.”
‘More confident than ever’
The CAF president said the performances he witnessed during this year’s tournament have strengthened his belief that an African nation can eventually lift football’s biggest trophy.
“After what we witnessed at this World Cup, we are more confident than ever that we will see an African national team crowned world champions. Today, I am more convinced than ever that this is possible,” he said.
Motsepe stressed that CAF remains committed to achieving that goal, adding that the continent must continue building on its recent progress.
“We face a major challenge,” he said. “That is why our objective remains clear, we will not stop until we see the World Cup come to the African continent.”
He also revealed that conversations with several of football’s most respected coaches had reinforced his optimism about the level of African football.
“I have had the opportunity to speak with some of the most experienced and respected coaches in the world,” Motsepe said. “One of the common themes was that many African national teams are now producing performances that show they can match the best teams in the world.”
The CAf chief’s comments come as African football continues to build momentum on the global stage, with recent World Cups producing increasingly competitive performances from the continent’s national teams.
