The President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has strongly dismissed claims that the decision to adjust the Africa Cup of Nations calendar was influenced by pressure from Europe, insisting that CAF remains fully independent in its decision-making, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
CAF had announced shortly before the start of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco that the continent’s flagship tournament will be held every four years starting from 2028. The announcement immediately triggered speculation that European football authorities played a role in the change, a suggestion Motsepe described as completely unfounded.
Speaking during a press conference on Saturday afternoon, the CAF president urged Africans to shed what he termed an “inferiority complex” when discussing global football relations.
“We have to stop the inferiority complex. We must move away from the idea that FIFA controls Africa,” Motsepe said. “Do you mean Africa doesn’t have the capacity to speak for itself?”
He went further to dismiss the claims outright, stating, “People say AFCON was changed to four years because of Europe. That is absolute nonsense. Rubbish.”
Motsepe also stressed that CAF’s relationship with FIFA and other global football bodies is based on mutual respect rather than subordination, noting that dialogue and compromise are normal in the global football ecosystem.
“FIFA respects us. Sometimes we both compromise to accommodate the interests of football,” he added.
His comments are expected to ease the debate surrounding the revised AFCON cycle, which has remained a major topic of discussion across African and international football circles.