Interviewed on the sidelines of the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi, Motsepe stated that Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are fully committed to organising the next Africa Cup of Nations, which is scheduled for June and July 2027. "We set very high standards," he said. "Every AFCON has to be better than the previous one".
While the last Africa Cup of Nations ended in unprecedented fashion, with Senegal being stripped of the title and the CAF declaring Morocco champions, Motsepe insisted that "things are back to normal". "We have learned from what happened in Morocco and I was deeply disappointed because it was the most successful AFCON," he said.
Asked about possible visa restrictions for the upcoming 2026 World Cup – hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico – Motsepe said that "there's a total commitment by the American government in particular, as well as by Canada and Mexico, to welcome football players, football spectators and football fans from all over the world".
"I'm confident that an African country will win the World Cup," he added, with Morocco having reached the semi-finals last time around. "Our objective is to make sure that an African country succeeds and is champion of the world."
The CAF president also said he supports the bid by current FIFA President Gianni Infantino for a new mandate in 2027, calling him "a loyal and trustworthy supporter of world football and of African football".
