Experienced Ivorian football administrator Jacques Anouma has announced his decision to withdraw from next week's CAF Presidential elections in Morocco.
This comes just hours after Senegal FA boss Ausgustin Senghor withdrew from the contest scheduled for Rabat on 12 March in the North African country.
The former Ivory Coast FA chief took the decision after meeting the Ivorian head of state Alassane Ouattaraon Friday to discuss developments in the campaign with just one week left to the election.
The decision by Anouma, the former FIFA Council Member and Ivory Coast FA President, takes South African businessman Patrice Motsepe closer to the throne as the President of CAF.
"I have decided to renounce my candidacy for the presidency of CAF," Anouma told RTI on Friday night.
Ahmed Yahya, the other candidate in the race has not yet communicated his position but there is no doubt that he will also withdraw to back Motsepe.
Barring a huge thunderclap, Motsepe will be elected president of the African Football Confederation (CAF) at the elective general assembly of the body to be held next Friday in Rabat.
In accordance with the agreement made last weekend between the various candidates in the Moroccan capital, the Ivorian Jacques Anouma, the Senegalese Augustin Senghor and the Mauritanian Ahmed Yahya will indeed withdraw to leave the South African billionaire as the sole candidate.
