Common Questions

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.

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.

The access failures at the 2026 tournament reached CAF's own officials on 7 June, when Omar Artan — a Somali referee named CAF's 2025 Male Referee of the Year — was turned back at Miami International Airport despite a valid US Visa. US Customs and Border Protection cited inadmissibility due to vetting concerns; Somalia is on the Trump travel-ban list. Artan would have been the first Somali to officiate a World Cup match. FIFA issued its standard disclaimer that immigration decisions rest with the host government and had named no replacement as of 9 June . The episode moved the access dispute from the terraces — where roughly 150 Ghanaian fans had already been refused US entry — to the match officials FIFA itself appointed.