CAF President backs African reps to replicate Morocco feat in Down Under

The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe has backed African representatives to emulate Morocco’s Qatar 2022 exploits by going as far as the semi-finals at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Four African nations, including nine-time winners Nigeria, reigning champions South Africa, reigning vice champions Morocco and bronze winners Zambia will be representing the continent at the global showpiece, holding from July 20 to August 20 in the Land Down Under.

In December 2022, the Moroccan men’s senior team became the first African team to make it to the semis of the World Cup in Qatar and Motsepe is confident that the women can do the same.

“I’m so proud of the good work that Morocco did and all of those nations who represented us in Qatar,” Motsepe told Nigeriafootball.ng.

“But you know Morocco made us very, very proud. And and we are confident that the nations that are representing us in Australia and New Zealand, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the African nations will make us proud and we wish them all of the best. We are behind them.”

“Very good chances. We were last year in Morocco and we had more than 60,000 spectators to come and watch football and a lot of good work has been done. There you can see the quality is improving,” he continued.

“But also what’s very important. You can see that some of the best players in Europe are from Africa. So we are very optimistic and it also emphasizes the investment we must continue to make in in women’s football, in the professional football of the continent, club football.”

Under his leadership, prize monies were introduced for the CAF Women’s Champions League and 150 percent increment for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations underlined his strong passion to make women’s football in Africa globally competitive.

The CAF supremo is proud about his administration’s increased support for the women’s game and pledges to sustain the effort, having also birthed the CAF African Schools Football Championship, with the girls category won by Fountain Gate of Tanzania in April 2023 in Durban, South Africa.

“It is also important to encourage more academies for women’s football players. The Patrice Motsepe Foundation made a contribution of $10 million donation for school football, but the prize money for the girls schools that win is the same as the prize money for the boys schools that win.

“So the future looks good and we must just keep investing, keep encouraging and also coach the coaches and train the trainers and  make sure that the quality of our women’s football is globally.

“I’m excited we’ve increased the price money for the club women’s championship but also for the women’s AFCON and and our commitment is to continue increasing and but it’s also important to pay the women very well, pay them very well because we want them to make a future out of football and and that’s one of our commitments in Africa.

“As well as, I’m very proud as well because FIFA President Gianni Infantino is also very committed and it’s important to pay our our women football players in African continent look after them and pay the bill.”