Several presidents of African football federations have told the Guardian they were not informed of the decision until it was surprisingly announced by the Caf president, Patrice Motsepe, on 20 December, prompting claims that the confederation breached its statutes by failing to seek approval at a general assembly. That is based on a contention that major changes to competition formats must be ratified by the 54 member associations, although that has been disputed by senior sources at Caf.