Is Patrice Motsepe FIFA's favorite candidate for the CAF presidency?

With just over a week until the next president of the African Football Confederation (CAF) is elected, FIFA has asked three candidates to back South Africa's Patrice Motsepe, a source close to one of the four candidates told AFP.

World body FIFA is keen for a fresh start in Africa, the source said, adding, Augustin Senghor (Senegal) and Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania) are open to accepting the proposal of the International Football Federation and becoming vice-presidents themselves. Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast would be offered a role as advisor to Motsepe.

Motsepe is FIFA's preferred candidate, they want someone new and not implicated in the former presidency," the source said. "They want a better image so they can attract investors and sponsors."

"The idea of ​​FIFA is to put together the four candidates, under the aegis of Morocco, so that they start to an agreement for a common program, and nominate among them only one candidate," said one source.

FIFA did not respond to comment from AFP on Monday.

CAF President Ahmad Ahmad has been slapped with a five-year suspension by the world governing football body, Fifa and he may likely not stand for re-election, even if allowed to do so by the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAF), where he is appealing the suspension.

If Augustin Senghor and Ahmed Yahya seem close to giving in, according to corroborating sources, Jacques Anouma could go alone against Patrice Motsepe.

The CAF Presidential election is scheduled to be held in Rabat, Morocco on March 12.