CAF delays ratification of $1 billion marketing deal after legal concerns

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has postponed the ratification of a $1 billion marketing contract following legal concerns raised during its executive committee meeting on Saturday.

The announcement came just hours before Morocco’s Oussama Lamlioui inspired his team to victory in the CHAN 2025 final in Nairobi, Kenya.

The high-profile meeting of CAF’s executive committee was expected to finalize a new long-term commercial agreement, which would have secured over €855 million in revenue across an eight-year period.

The deal was widely expected to be awarded to the American media and marketing giant IMG, which emerged as the frontrunner from a competitive bidding process.

According to reports published on Friday by journalist Osasu Obayiuwana, citing CAF insiders, IMG was in a strong position to outbid Spanish firm Mediapro, Swiss-based Team Marketing, and Belgian agency Iris Sports Media.

The agreement was believed to be nearing completion, pending CAF’s formal approval and the provision of an irrevocable bank guarantee by IMG to secure the projected revenue.

However, despite expectations that the signing would be a mere formality, CAF president Patrice Motsepe confirmed that unresolved legal matters had forced the organization to delay a decision.

Speaking to Obayiuwana, Motsepe revealed that the sticking point stems from legal disputes involving the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), a regional trade bloc.

“We have legal issues with Comesa that we need to resolve because they affect the duration of the contracts we have to sign,” said Motsepe.

The development means CAF will not be announcing its new commercial partner until further notice, with the matter now pushed back to the next executive committee meeting.

This setback represents a significant delay in CAF’s commercial strategy, particularly given the scale of the proposed deal. The marketing contract is central to CAF’s long-term plans to boost its revenue streams and increase investment in African football competitions.

IMG’s involvement had been widely anticipated, with industry sources suggesting the agency was preparing to deliver a landmark partnership to reshape CAF’s global media and marketing reach.

The legal dispute with COMESA introduces a layer of complexity that CAF must resolve before proceeding. While Motsepe did not go into detail about the exact nature of the issues, his comments indicate that the length and terms of the contract are directly impacted by ongoing negotiations.

For now, CAF remains without a confirmed marketing partner, with its leadership choosing to address these legal matters before locking in one of the most lucrative agreements in the organization’s history.

The next executive committee session is expected to provide clarity, though no date has been set for when that decision will be finalized.

Sources within @CAF_Online indicate to me that @IMG is the preferred bidder to secure the $1 billion eight-year contract with African football’s governing body. IMG, should they win the contract, will have to provide an irrevocable bank guarantee securing that income for CAF.

— Osasu Obayiuwana (@osasuo) August 29, 2025