African soccer’s CAF governing body has announced a new partnership with the European Commission (EC), the executive branch of the European Union political body.
Through the multi-year deal, the EC becomes a partner of CAF’s elite continental men’s national team competition the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2025 and 2027, its women’s edition (WAFCON) for its 2024 edition (which will be played later in 2025), and the youth-category CAF African Schools Football Championship.
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The partnership is aimed at promoting awareness for EC development initiatives on the continent, primarily its Global Gateway strategy, its plan to narrow the investment gap by scaling up renewable energy investment in Africa, with CAF to also collaborate with the body on social initiatives.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe pointed to his administration’s battle to combat corruption at CAF as a driver behind the partnership, adding: “ This partnership is a recognition of the significant progress that has been made in CAF and the respect that emanates from the governance, ethics, and transparency policies that we have introduced, as well as our zero tolerance of corruption.
CAF has been fraught with controversy in recent years, with its leadership under scrutiny over corruption allegations and mismanagement, the latter exemplified by the 2024 Women’s AFCON, which will be played in Morocco in 2025 to avoid a clash with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, after the 2020 edition was canceled altogether due to Covid-19 despite the men’s iteration being just postponed.
Dubbed WAFCON, the event will take place from July 5 to 26.
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By GlobalDataMeanwhile, AFCON’s 2025 men’s edition will begin on December 21 and continue until January 18, 2026, when its showpiece final will take place.
Both events will be staged in Morocco, which was not the initial host planned for the men’s event.
Hosting rights for 2025 had originally been held by the sub-Saharan country of Guinea.
Earlier in 2025, Motsepe was re-elected to his role as CAF president for a second four-year term unopposed.
Four years ago, he succeeded Ahmad Ahmad, who had been banned for corruption, following the backing of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. That election was also unopposed, after four potential opponents withdrew their candidacies.
January also saw confirmation that Véron Mosengo-Omba, the general secretary of African soccer’s CAF governing body, will not face legal action in Switzerland over alleged suspicious financial activities, after the Swiss Public Prosecutors' Office declined to open proceedings against him.
An investigation was launched in October 2024 over allegations that he had received suspicious payments relating to certain Swiss bank accounts. However, the Swiss Public Prosecutors' Office found no basis to bring charges against Mosengo-Omba.
For his part, Mosengo-Omba, who was appointed alongside Motsepe in 2021, has always proclaimed his innocence.
Motsepe has said that the eventual aim, regarding CAF’s income, is to increase revenues to $1 billion across the next eight years.
At the end of January, oil and gas giant TotalEnergies was unveiled as having extended its significant commercial deal with CAF for the next four years.
This new deal covers 12 CAF competitions in the 2025-2028 cycle that will be title-sponsored by TotalEnergies, including the high-profile Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) men's national teams tournament in 2025 and 2027.
