More money for Fufa, FA presidents as Caf remove age-limit

Fufa and its president Eng Moses Magogo have received a financial boost after the Confederation of Africa Football (Caf) announced an increase in its annual subvention to member associations.

Caf revealed this during their 46th Ordinary General Assembly on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where a number of changes ranging from financial to political were passed.

One of the notable changes is the increase in the annual subvention to the associations including Fufa from $250,000 (Shs916m) to $400,000 (Shs1.47b). The Caf president Patrice Motsepe said this is part of the confederation’s strategy to support football development.

Financial windfall

From Tuesday’s vote, Fufa president Magogo is entitled to $50,000 (about Shs185m) of Fufa’s share, an increase of $10,000 from the amount set in 2019.

Fufa’s recent financial report revealed that the federation received a total grant of Shs2.726b from Caf last year, which contributed 6% of their total income. The report, however, highlighted that this amount was Shs2.5b less than what was received earlier due to a reduction in revenue in television rights. Caf’s subvention is just one of several grants the confederation provides to associations.

Caf also increased grants to the six zonal bodies including Cecafa by 60 percent to Shs2.75b. Cecafa’s grants contributed to Shs3.39b of Fufa’s income last year.

The 17 Caf executive members and five vice presidents will also see an increase. A Shs73m top-up has boosted the executives and will now receive an annual allowance of Shs300m and Shs330m for the deputies. Until last year, Magogo was entitled to both the Fufa president’s and executive members' allowances.

Motsepe projected a further increase to Shs3.7b in 2026 as part of the body’s target to generate and reinvest $1b during that period.

The increase to the leaders will cost the confederation not less than Shs3.3b annually. Caf also announced a decrease in revenue by Shs73.3b from Shs473b to Shs399b, largely due to being a non-Afcon year. However, the losses reduced from Shs105b to Shs33.7b.

Age-limit

The goodies have been welcomed but have raised eyebrows from analysts who feel Motsepe is only laying the ground for the upcoming elections scheduled for March next year. Reports circulated of mobilization exercises on the eve of the assembly.

However, in an interesting twist, the assembly voted unanimously to lift the 70-year age limit in Article 18.9 of Caf’s Statutes, allowing individuals over that age to contest for presidency and executive positions.

The amendment was submitted by Comoros and seconded by Mauritania, Botswana, Somalia and Liberia as required by the statutes. Interestingly, Motsepe’s second vice president is the boss of Mauritanian football. The vote met the three-quarter threshold of at least two-thirds of the members present with only two rejecting it.

The age limit had been lifted once before in April 2015 to benefit former president Issa Hayatou (RIP), before being restored in July 2017.

“The resolution has been adopted,” Motsepe, 62, announced before moving on hastily. The move paves the way for potential candidates including former Egyptian Football boss Abou Rida, 72, who is rumoured to be behind the change. One of the other candidates speculated to be interested include former African player of the year Samuel Eto’o, the president of Cameroon football.

Linguistic barriers removed

Additionally, the members voted to lift the linguistic boundaries that had been set for the elections of the six African delegates to the Fifa Council. 

Previously, the three linguistic groupings were entitled to two slots each. The groupings are divided into three; English-speaking, French-speaking and Arabic, Portuguese and Spanish-speaking. 

This could be a disadvantage to Cecafa whose members will have to fight the more established groupings for a chance.