New Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe has asked his vice-presidents, Augustin Senghor and Ahmed Yahya, to travel the continent with him establishing the pressing needs of every country in African football.

Motsepe appeared to consciously present a vision of unity when he invited his vice-presidents and new senior adviser, Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast, to join him in his first press conference as president after his election unopposed at Caf’s general assembly in Rabat, Morocco, on Friday.

Senegalese Senghor, Mauritanian Yahya and Anouma had withdrawn their presidential candidacies in support of Motsepe, in return for their leadership positions.

Mamelodi Sundowns owner Motsepe, too, was conscious as he identified the most pressing needs of Caf early in his four-year term, of responding to an economic standing that finance committee head Fouzi Lekjaa, in a sober report, made clear was unsustainable.

Lekjaa told the assembly Caf posted a US$10m (R150m) deficit in 2020, which left its reserves at around $60m.

“If we continue like this we will have enough to continue on this path for another five, six years, but then that will be it,” Lekjaa said. “So the new leadership must develop and double or triple the revenue.”

Motsepe said he would keep his election promise of travelling to every African country in his first year as president.

Identifying Caf’s most pressing challenges, Motsepe said: “This is how I want to lead, working closely with my brother Augustin, my brother Yahya and my senior adviser [Anouma].

“[First] there’s a sense of urgency to ensure that African football is globally competitive, and self-sustaining.

“The test of the success of African football has to do with what happens in every country. And that’s why I will be — and the intention is that the VPs and senior adviser will go with me — visiting every country in Africa within the next nine to 12 months.

“ ... One of the journalists was asking me ‘What does success look like?’ And the way that success looks in relation to a year, two years, three years from now, is that we look at how African clubs and nations are performing globally.

“We have to compete at the highest level in the world. And there is no higher level than the Fifa World Cup.

“ ... I had the honour of taking my club to the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan in 2016. We [Africa] want to compete there.

“And also do well in every country. The quality — spend money and contribute to development of academies.

“ ... There’s a clear understanding that we have to excel on the field. But also there’s a clear understanding that if you listen to our financials, we’ve got problems there.

“We’ve got to fix it. And we will fix it. Pursue partnerships with the private sector, and build a partnership that makes them appreciate the huge benefit to their businesses of participating with us, and sponsoring football in each of those member countries.

“But also sponsoring and increasing the prize money in the Caf competitions.”

Motsepe’s former candidacy rivals, now deputies, were also eager to present a display of unity, amid concerns of rivalries, in the new structure.

“As of today we have shown that it is viable to face the challenges of African football, and shown the whole world we are capable of unity and solidarity,” Senghor said.

“Once we started talking to Patrice he really made us very comfortable with this collective and inclusive spirit.”

Yahya said: “I would like to thank the president for inviting us to his press conference, which shows his vision is a vision for collective effort.”

Anouma added: “The first time we met we were very assured by his vision for African football. I believe that we will be working hand in glove — we have much work before us, especially in the wake of this financial presentation.

“The president and his executive committee will probably have some very difficult decisions to make if we want to to save [African] football.”