Motsepe showers praise on ex-COSAFA boss Philip Chiyangwa

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has praised former COSAFA boss Philip Chiyangwa for his ‘successfully’ contribution towards the development of football across the Southern African region.

Motsepe’s remarks comes after the ex-ZIFA president who was voted into the regional office in 2016 quit the top office after his first term at the end of 2021.

He (Chiyangwa) decided against vying for the top position for the second time, and announced his retirement from football administration.

He was replaced by Angola’s Artur de Almeida e Silva who was unanimously voted in after being unopposed.

However, even though Chiyangwa quit the top office, Motsepe still recognizes him and believes the business tycoon’s tenure as the COSAFA boss was fruitful.

“Mr Philip Chiyangwa, allow me firstly to thank you for the outstanding work you did as president of COSAFA and the leadership you provided in developing football in COSAFA and on the African Continent,” reads the letter wrote by the CAF boss to Chiyangwa.

“I was hoping to see you in Namibia so that I could personally express my gratitude to you.

“I had a good discussion with President Mnangagwa in Davos, Switzerland during the World Economic Forum, and we also spoke about the historical and emotional history between the people of Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“You and I must continue to build and expand on the history of mutual loyalty and trust for the benefit of the people in our two countries and on the African Continent.

“I look forward to seeing you either when you next visit Johannesburg or during my visit to Zimbabwe in the not-too-distant future,” Motsepe wrote.