Nigeria to Host CAF General Assembly as Motsepe Hails Country’s Leadership in African Football

Nigeria will host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on November 21, with CAF President Patrice Motsepe describing the country as one of Africa's foremost football nations and a key player in the future of the sport on the continent.

Motsepe announced the decision during a press conference in Johannesburg, confirming that Africa's highest football decision-making meeting will take place in Abuja.

He said Nigeria was deliberately selected because of its enduring contribution to African football and its influence across the continent.

"We're going to meet in Abuja in Nigeria for the Ordinary General Assembly in November," Motsepe said.

"Nigeria is a proud football nation, and there's a reason why I took it to Nigeria. There's a reason why I'm looking at some of the countries in Africa because we have to do something very special in every one of the 54 countries on the continent, as much as we have to do something special in South Africa, in Kenya, in Cameroon and all over the continent."

The CAF Ordinary General Assembly serves as the organisation's highest decision-making body, bringing together presidents of member football associations and delegates from all 54 CAF member nations.

The annual gathering reviews the state of African football, deliberates on governance and competition matters, approves budgets and audited accounts, and sets the strategic direction for the continental game. Every member association is entitled to one vote during proceedings.

CAF thanked the Federal Government and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for accepting to host the event, expressing confidence that the assembly would further advance football development across Africa.

"The 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly is expected to be a huge success and will contribute substantially to the development and growth of football on the African continent," the organisation said.

Last year's General Assembly was held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, under Motsepe's leadership.

Motsepe also reflected on Nigeria's absence from the recently concluded 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the tournament as incomplete without the Super Eagles.

"I keep telling my Nigerian friends, you know, a World Cup for me without Nigeria, without Cameroon and many others is incomplete because Nigeria has always made us proud," he said.

Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament after missing out on the automatic qualification slot from Group C during the African qualifiers.

The Super Eagles later fell short in the continental playoffs, losing to DR Congo in the decisive match. The Congolese side eventually secured one of Africa's qualification places through the Intercontinental Playoffs.

The failure means Nigeria missed the FIFA World Cup for a second consecutive edition, the first time the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for back-to-back tournaments since making their World Cup debut in 1994.

Despite Nigeria's absence, Motsepe hailed the overall performance of African teams at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing it as a historic milestone for the continent.

Africa was represented by 10 countries for the first time in World Cup history, with nine of them progressing from the group stage to the Round of 32, the highest qualification rate ever achieved by African nations at the tournament.

The 90 per cent progression rate surpassed previous performances, where African teams recorded qualification rates of 40 per cent in both 2014 and 2022, while none advanced beyond the group stage in 2018.

Motsepe said the performances demonstrated significant progress, while acknowledging there was still room for improvement.

"Significant progress and successes were achieved by the African national teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026, and I am very proud of their performances," he said.

"The nine African national teams that qualified from the group stage to the Round of 32 made history at the FIFA World Cup 2026. We have also identified specific areas where there is room for improvement, and I am confident that the coaches, technical teams and players will implement the necessary improvements."

He reaffirmed CAF's commitment to investing in both men's and women's football across Africa, expressing confidence that the continent would eventually produce a FIFA World Cup champion.

"We remain confident that an African nation will be champions of the FIFA World Cup," Motsepe said.