Confederation of African Football
African football governing body responsible for the continental qualifying pathway to the FIFA World Cup.
Last refreshed: 11 May 2026
Five African nations face $15k visa bonds and CAF has said nothing — who speaks for them?
- Why is CAF criticised over the 2026 World Cup visa bonds?
- An Al Jazeera opinion piece on 5 May 2026 criticised CAF for institutional silence on a $15,000 US visa security bond affecting all five African qualified nations (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Tunisia, Cabo Verde). No statement from CAF president Motsepe had been issued as of 11 May.Source: Al Jazeera / Lowdown
- Who is Patrice Motsepe and what is his role in African football?
- Patrice Motsepe is the South African mining billionaire and president of CAF (Confederation of African Football) since 2021. He is responsible for representing all 54 African member associations at FIFA and continental level.
- How many African teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
- Nine African nations qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the largest African contingent ever. Five of them (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Tunisia, Cabo Verde) face the $15,000 US visa bond requirement.
- What is the $15,000 US visa bond for World Cup 2026?
- The US government introduced a security bond requirement tied to immigration policy for nationals of certain countries applying for tournament visas. For affected African nations, the $15,000 amount equates to approximately three years of average income.Source: Lowdown
Background
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the continental governing body for association football in Africa, founded in 1957 in Khartoum, Sudan by Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Sudan. It is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt and governs 54 member associations — the largest single continental confederation within FIFA. Current president: Patrice Motsepe (South Africa), elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2025. CAF administers the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the CAF Champions League, and manages African World Cup qualification.
On 5 May 2026, an Al Jazeera opinion piece criticised CAF's institutional silence over the $15,000 US visa security bond requirement affecting all five African nations that qualified for the 2026 World Cup: Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Tunisia, and Cabo Verde. The bond, tied to a US immigration policy expansion, amounts to approximately three years of average income in each country. No official statement from CAF or Motsepe had been issued by 11 May. The piece framed CAF's silence as abandonment of African players and fans at a historically important tournament — the first World Cup held in North America since 1994 and the first with nine African qualifiers.