CAF president Patrice Motsepe says an African team must win the World Cup, as he called on the continent to build on the progress made by its national teams at the 2026 tournament.
“An African team must win the World Cup,” Motsepe said during the CAF Strategy Conference in Santa Maria, Cape Verde, where African football officials, coaches and experts are discussing the future of the game on the continent.
The conference is being held from 7 to 9 October and is focused on lessons from the 2026 World Cup and preparations for the 2030 tournament.
Motsepe’s comments come after what he described as a historic performance by African teams at the 2026 World Cup. Ten African teams took part in the tournament, with nine reaching the knockout stages.
The CAF president said the continent must make use of that progress and turn it into a historic achievement by producing a World Cup winner.
The strategy conference is also examining the wider development of African football, with federation officials and technical experts discussing ways to strengthen the game ahead of the next World Cup.
Motsepe also used the conference to reaffirm CAF’s backing for Gianni Infantino in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections. CAF had already announced its collective support for the Swiss FIFA president in August.
The CAF president also expressed confidence in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
While preparations for the tournament present challenges, Motsepe stressed CAF’s backing for the three host nations and expressed confidence in the competition’s success.
Beyond the major tournaments, Motsepe called for further development of national football federations across Africa.
He highlighted the need for greater financial support for the federations, stronger efforts to develop their own resources and improved transparency within their operations.
The development of referees was another area identified by the CAF president, who stressed the importance of improving the qualification system for officials across the continent.
Motsepe also urged greater support for African investment in football as part of efforts to strengthen the sport financially and competitively.
He called for the continent’s competitions to be developed further and for their marketing capabilities to be improved so they can attract greater attention and secure a stronger position on the global stage.
The strategy conference therefore comes with a broad focus on the future of African football, from national federations and refereeing to investment, competitions and international performance.
For Motsepe, however, the ultimate ambition remains clear: Africa must turn its recent progress into a World Cup title.
