Motsepe and Infantino open CAF strategy conference

Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), opened the CAF strategy conference in Sal Island, Cape Verde. During the opening day, Motsepe emphasized that while grant amounts have increased, the focus should be on results to make football in member associations world-class standard. He called for improvements in refereeing and other aspects of football across Africa.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised the strides made by African football under Motsepe's leadership and believed the CAF strategy conference was a positive step. Experts from around the world are attending the conference, which features 54 CAF member associations represented by their presidents.

The main objectives of the CAF strategy conference are to learn from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and discuss ways to raise the standard of football in member associations. Some African countries still play home matches on foreign grounds due to a lack of stadiums meeting CAF and FIFA standards. Infantino acknowledged the significant improvement in this area.

Motsepe reiterated CAF's support for Infantino in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections set to take place in Rabat, Morocco. The conference will conclude on Friday with discussions led by Arsene Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, on what 10 Africans did well at the 2026 World Cup and how to improve for the next global event in 2030.