The Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Patrice Motsepe, has kicked off a diplomatic mission in North Africa following tense fallout from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final. His visit to Senegal on Wednesday marked a high-profile effort to address the controversy surrounding the CAF Appeal Board’s decision to strip Senegal of the title and award it to Morocco.
During the meeting with Senegalese Football Federation officials and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Motsepe emphasized unity and transparency.
“I would welcome any investigation into corruption at CAF, be it by a government or any institution,” he said. “In fact, I would encourage it. We will give them our full cooperation.”
Motsepe acknowledged past challenges, adding, “It is not just in football, but in business and politics too. We cannot give our children the perception that if you want to succeed in life, be corrupt.
“There has to be zero tolerance [for corruption]. That’s the best gift we can give football in Africa. Not just talking about corruption, but intervene, put the necessary laws in place and implement them.”
Recall that ENigeria Newspaper reported that the Senegalese government had requested an investigation after CAF’s Appeal Board decision, following chaotic scenes in the January 18 final in Rabat. Senegal initially led 1-0 but briefly left the field to protest a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
CAF president declined to comment on the dispute, which is now under review at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“There is nothing I can tell you that I haven’t said already 10, 15, 20 times. You can ask me the same question 100 times, I’ll give you the same answer 100 times. I have an obligation to respect that the matter is now in front of the highest (sports) court in the world.”
Motsepe also denied any preferential treatment for Morocco, insisting, “Under no circumstances will any single country in Africa be treated more preferentially or more favourably than any other. That will never happen.”
Motsepe is expected to fly to Morocco on Thursday for comparable talks with local football authorities after his visit to Senegal. Motsepe’s active leadership amid one of the sport’s most delicate crises is highlighted by CAF, which characterizes this series of talks as part of a larger diplomatic effort to reduce tensions and strengthen good governance in African football.
