KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: A South African report has raised doubts over whether millionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe stands any chance of becoming the first southern African to win the presidency of continental confederation CAF next month.

The Pretoria-headquartered Institute for Strategic Studies, as reported by public broadcaster SABC, describes as “slim” the prospects for the owner of Mamelodi Sundowns.

It acknowledges his “very great connections” throughout the world but cautions that the murky field of international football politics demands “certain qualities which are foreign to him”.

The report is signed off by the ISS director Mpho Tsedu.

Motsepe has been handed unanimous backing by the regional COSAFA group of southern African football associations but they represent fewer than a third of the potential ballot and nor has he received official support from the South African government.

This has raised particular questions because Motsepe is the brother-in-law of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Currently three other certain candidates remain ahead of the election congress in Rabat on March 12: Ahmed Yahya, 44, from Mauritania, Augustin Emmanuel Senghor, 55, from Senegal and Ivory Coast FA president Jacques Anouma, 69.

The status of CAF president Ahmad Ahmad is uncertain. He has been banned from football for corruption offences by world federation FIFA but had the suspension raised by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ahead of an appeal hearing on March 2.

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