Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has voiced his frustration over the ongoing issue of African national teams playing their home matches outside their home countries due to inadequate stadium facilities.
His comments come in the wake of the recent decision by CAF to withdraw approval for the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, Ghana, leaving the country without a certified venue to host the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifiers in October. This situation has sparked widespread concern in Ghana, as no stadium currently meets CAF standards to host the crucial matches.
Speaking at a press conference in Kenya, Motsepe expressed his disappointment with the current state of African football infrastructure.
“There’s nothing that frustrates me more than seeing a national team or a football club from any African country having to play outside of their nation,” he said. “You can’t build football in Africa if teams aren’t playing in front of their own people.”
Motsepe highlighted that CAF has made progress in reducing the number of countries forced to play abroad but emphasized that more needs to be done to improve stadium standards across the continent.
“We’ve made good success in reducing the number of countries playing outside their nations,” he noted. “In every meeting I have with Heads of State, the focus is on working together to ensure that we have at least one stadium that meets FIFA and CAF standards.”
The CAF President’s remarks were made during the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday, September 16, 2024.
Part of the meeting’s agenda included discussions on the host nation for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, highlighting CAF’s commitment to improving football infrastructure and development across Africa.
