Confederation of African Football
The governing body for association football, beach soccer, and futsal across Africa.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Confederation of African Football, commonly known as CAF, is the continental governing body for association football in Africa and one of FIFA's six confederations. It regulates and develops the sport across the continent, representing African national associations in dealings with FIFA and other international football institutions. CAF's responsibilities include organizing competitions, setting sporting and administrative regulations, managing commercial and media rights for its tournaments, supporting member associations, and promoting men's, women's, youth, futsal, beach soccer, and grassroots football. CAF was formally established on 8 February 1957 at the Grand Hotel in Khartoum, Sudan. Its creation followed the recognition of Africa as a distinct football confederation at the 1954 FIFA Congress in Bern. The founding members were Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, and South Africa, although South Africa's participation was affected by the country's apartheid-era policies. The organization's first president was Egyptian administrator Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem, while Youssef Mohamad served as its first general secretary. CAF's early headquarters were located in offices associated with the Sudanese Football Association in Khartoum. After a fire, the headquarters moved to Egypt and eventually became established in the Cairo area. The Africa Cup of Nations, first held in 1957, is CAF's best-known national-team competition and the central property around which much of its sporting and commercial identity has developed. CAF also administers the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, the African Nations Championship for domestic-based players, youth championships that provide qualification pathways to FIFA tournaments, and qualifying competitions for the men's and women's World Cups and Olympic football tournaments. In club football, its major properties include the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, CAF Super Cup, CAF Women's Champions League, and school football competitions. It also oversees continental activity in futsal and beach soccer. The organization has expanded its commercial model through sponsorship, broadcasting, licensing, ticketing, hospitality, and tournament partnerships. Notable commercial agreements have included sponsorship arrangements with MTN, Orange, Total and TotalEnergies, while more recent commercial partners have included brands such as TikTok and 1xBet. The value and structure of individual agreements have varied, and CAF's commercial rights have periodically been subject to renegotiation and scrutiny. CAF has 54 member associations and divides its activities across the continent's football regions and sub-confederations. Its competitions are important development platforms for national teams and clubs, but the organization also faces structural challenges, including uneven infrastructure, travel costs, stadium standards, financial disparities between associations, fixture congestion, governance disputes, and the movement of leading African players to leagues outside the continent. The confederation has consequently pursued reforms in competition formats, women's and youth football, club licensing, commercial operations, and governance. Patrice Motsepe of South Africa became CAF president in March 2021 after being elected unopposed. During his tenure, CAF has continued to professionalize its competitions and commercial operations while expanding the visibility of women's football and seeking stronger financial and organizational foundations for member associations. CAF remains an active continental sports governing institution rather than a conventional consumer brand: its principal offerings are competitions, regulatory services, development programs, and rights-management platforms for African football.
History
CAF emerged from the growing recognition that African football required a continental institution capable of coordinating national associations and representing them within FIFA. At the 1954 FIFA Congress in Bern, Africa was formally recognized as a football confederation. Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, and South Africa then played the central roles in establishing CAF on 8 February 1957 in Khartoum, Sudan. Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem became the first president and Youssef Mohamad the first general secretary. The organization initially operated from facilities connected with the Sudanese Football Association. The first Africa Cup of Nations was held in 1957 and featured the small group of founding participants. It established a recurring continental championship and gave CAF a visible sporting purpose. As membership expanded, the confederation developed qualification systems, regional structures, disciplinary procedures, referee administration, and competitions for age-group national teams. CAF's headquarters later moved from Khartoum toward Cairo after a fire affected its original premises. Egypt became the organization's long-term administrative center. Club football became a second major pillar. The African Cup of Champions Clubs began in 1964 for national league champions and was renamed the CAF Champions League in 1997. CAF added the African Cup Winners' Cup in 1975 and the CAF Cup in 1992. In 2004, the latter two competitions were consolidated into the CAF Confederation Cup, creating a clearer hierarchy beneath the Champions League. The CAF Super Cup, first played in 1993, brought together the leading continental club winners. CAF also cooperated with the Asian Football Confederation on the Afro-Asian Club Championship, staged between 1987 and 1999. Women's football developed more gradually. CAF introduced the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in 1991, initially under the name African Women's Championship. Youth women's competitions followed, including under-20 and under-17 pathways connected to FIFA world championships. In 2020, CAF approved a women's club championship, and the CAF Women's Champions League began its inaugural competitive cycle in 2021. These initiatives gave domestic women's leagues and clubs a continental platform and formed part of the wider professionalization of the women's game. CAF also created the African Nations Championship, commonly called CHAN, after approving the concept in 2007. Unlike the senior Africa Cup of Nations, CHAN is designed for national teams composed of players registered with clubs in their domestic leagues. The competition responds in part to concerns that the migration of leading African players to overseas leagues had reduced the visibility of domestic competitions. Commercial rights became increasingly important as television audiences, sponsorship, and international interest in African football grew. MTN signed a major four-year sponsorship agreement in 2004. Orange became a principal commercial partner in 2009, and Total replaced Orange as the headline sponsor in 2016 under a large multi-year package; the company later adopted the TotalEnergies name. CAF's revenue model also includes broadcasting, licensing, hospitality, and competition partnerships. Commercial expansion has brought greater resources but has also increased demands for transparent procurement, sound financial controls, and reliable tournament delivery. The confederation's governance has periodically been contentious. The long presidency of Issa Hayatou ended in 2017 when Ahmad Ahmad defeated him in the presidential election. Ahmad's period in office was accompanied by disputes over administration, commercial arrangements, and internal governance, as well as legal and ethical scrutiny. His tenure ended in 2021, when Patrice Motsepe was elected unopposed. Under Motsepe, CAF has continued efforts to strengthen competitions, expand women's football, improve commercial performance, and address infrastructure and organizational weaknesses. Today CAF represents 54 member associations. It administers national-team and club competitions across men's, women's, youth, futsal, beach soccer, and school football, while coordinating African qualification routes for FIFA tournaments. Its strategic importance extends beyond event organization: CAF is a development institution, a rights holder, a regulator, and the principal international voice of African football. Persistent challenges include unequal facilities, travel distances, funding gaps, calendar congestion, stadium certification, federation politics, and the retention of talent. Its continuing role is to create credible continental competitions while using football to support broader sporting development across Africa.
- 2021
Patrice Motsepe becomes president
[6]Motsepe is elected unopposed and succeeds Ahmad Ahmad as CAF president.
- 2020
CAF Women's Champions League approved
[5]CAF approves its first major continental women's club championship.
- 2007
African Nations Championship approved
[11]CAF approves a tournament focused on players competing in domestic African leagues.
- 2004
CAF Confederation Cup is created
[10]CAF merges the African Cup Winners' Cup and CAF Cup into a second-tier club competition.
- 1997
Champions club competition becomes CAF Champions League
[4]The African Cup of Champions Clubs is rebranded and its competition structure is modernized.
- 1991
Women's continental championship begins
[9]CAF introduces the competition now known as the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
- 1975
African Cup Winners' Cup begins
[8]A continental club competition is introduced for national cup winners.
- 1964
African Cup of Champions Clubs begins
[4]CAF launches its principal men's club championship for domestic league champions.
- 1957
CAF is founded in Khartoum
[1]CAF is established on 8 February in Sudan by representatives of African football associations.
- 1957
First Africa Cup of Nations
[3]CAF stages the inaugural continental national-team championship.
Products and positioning
Africa's central football authority and the owner, regulator, and promoter of the continent's leading national-team and club competitions.
Men's national-team competition · 1957
Africa Cup of Nations
CAF's flagship men's national-team tournament, first staged in 1957. It brings together qualifying national associations for a continental finals competition and serves as the confederation's most prominent sporting and commercial property.
Women's national-team competition · 1991
Women's Africa Cup of Nations
CAF's leading women's national-team championship. It began in 1991 as the African Women's Championship and has developed into a major continental event and a qualification route for the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Men's club competition · 1964
CAF Champions League
CAF's premier men's club tournament. It originated as the African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1964 and adopted the Champions League name in 1997, bringing together leading clubs from member associations through qualification and group or knockout stages.
Men's club competition · 2004
CAF Confederation Cup
The continent's principal second-tier men's club competition. Created in 2004 through the merger of the CAF Cup and African Cup Winners' Cup, it gives national cup winners and other high-performing domestic clubs a continental pathway.
Club super cup · 1993
CAF Super Cup
An annual match or event connecting the winners of CAF's leading men's club competitions. It was launched in 1993 and has traditionally matched the Champions League winner against the winner of the continent's secondary club competition.
Domestic-player national-team competition · 2009
African Nations Championship
Often known as CHAN, this national-team tournament is designed primarily for players registered with clubs in their own domestic leagues. It provides a continental showcase distinct from the senior Africa Cup of Nations and supports domestic-player development.
Women's club competition · 2021
CAF Women's Champions League
CAF's continental women's club championship. Approved in 2020 and first contested in 2021, it combines qualification through regional or sub-confederation competitions with a final tournament for leading women's clubs.
Youth national-team competitions
CAF youth competitions
CAF organizes under-20 and under-17 competitions for men's and women's national teams. These tournaments develop young players and provide qualification pathways to FIFA youth world championships.
Controversies
2019
Governance and administration controversies
CAF and its then-president Ahmad Ahmad faced public and institutional scrutiny involving administration, commercial arrangements, and alleged misconduct. The episode contributed to pressure for stronger governance and later leadership change.
Marketing campaigns
- 2007CAF Anthem Competition
Africa
CAF invited composers from across Africa to create a lyric-free anthem intended to represent the continent's cultural and musical diversity.
Outcome. CAF introduced an official anthem concept for its competitions.
Brand decisions
2021
Leadership transition under Patrice MotsepeStrategyBackground
CAF entered a period of governance pressure and organizational reform after controversies during the preceding administration.
Action taken
Patrice Motsepe was elected president unopposed and assumed responsibility for the confederation's sporting, commercial, and governance agenda.
Aftermath
CAF continued efforts to professionalize competitions, strengthen commercial operations, and expand women's football.
2020
Approve the CAF Women's Champions LeagueProduct launchBackground
CAF identified the need for a major continental club platform to complement its women's national-team competitions.
Action taken
The confederation approved a women's club championship with qualification through regional competitions.
Aftermath
The competition began in 2021 and provided African women's clubs with a recurring continental stage.
2007
Approve the African Nations ChampionshipProduct launchBackground
CAF wanted to create a high-level national-team competition for players based in domestic African leagues as overseas migration increased.
Action taken
CAF approved a separate domestic-player championship, later known as CHAN.
Aftermath
The first tournament was organized in 2009 and became part of CAF's national-team calendar.
2004
Merge the CAF Cup and African Cup Winners' CupStrategyBackground
CAF sought to simplify its men's club competition structure and establish a clearer second-tier continental tournament.
Action taken
The two competitions were combined to create the CAF Confederation Cup.
Aftermath
The Confederation Cup became the principal club competition below the CAF Champions League.
2004
Sign major MTN sponsorship agreementOtherBackground
CAF sought a larger commercial base for its competitions and broader continental visibility.
Action taken
CAF entered a four-year sponsorship agreement with MTN covering its competitions.
Aftermath
The agreement was described as a landmark sponsorship for African sport and was later followed by new headline partners.
Reported sponsorship value. US$12.5 million (Four-year agreement announced in 2004)
Recent events
Lagos pledges support for 2026 CAF Awards[12]
Reported:
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pledged the state government’s support for hosting the 2026 Confederation of African Football Awards in Lagos, including attention to security, logistics, branding and venue access.
TikTok and CAF announce football content partnership[13]
Reported:
TikTok and the Confederation of African Football announced a partnership to bring football content to fans globally and support CAF tournaments.
Sources13 sources
- 1Confederation of African Footballen.wikipedia.org
- 2CAF official websitecafonline.com
- 3Africa Cup of Nationsen.wikipedia.org
- 4CAF Champions Leagueen.wikipedia.org
- 5CAF Women's Champions Leagueen.wikipedia.org
- 6Patrice Motsepeen.wikipedia.org
- 7Ahmad Ahmaden.wikipedia.org
- 8African Cup Winners' Cup beginsen.wikipedia.org
- 9Women's continental championship beginsen.wikipedia.org
- 10CAF Confederation Cup is createden.wikipedia.org
- 11African Nations Championship approveden.wikipedia.org
- 12拉各斯承诺支持2026年非洲足联颁奖典礼punchng.com
- 13TikTok与CAF宣布足球内容合作pmnewsnigeria.com
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