The President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has said he would encourage any investigation into allegations of corruption within African football’s governing body following the controversial decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco.
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Motsepe made the remarks during a visit to Dakar on Wednesday, where he met with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and officials of the country’s football federation amid growing calls for scrutiny of CAF’s decisions.
“I welcome any investigation, whether by a government, authority or anybody,” Motsepe said at a news conference. “If there is any corruption in CAF, we want to know about it and we will take action immediately. We have zero tolerance for corruption.”
The controversy erupted after CAF’s Appeals Board ruled that Senegal forfeited the AFCON final played on January 18 in Rabat. The decision came after several Senegal players walked off the pitch in protest against a late penalty awarded to Morocco during second-half stoppage time.
Although Senegal returned after a delay and ultimately won 1–0 after extra time, CAF later declared Morocco champions, citing breaches of tournament regulations. The decision triggered outrage in Senegal and prompted the government to demand an investigation.
Senegal has since filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking to overturn CAF’s ruling. Motsepe reiterated that CAF would respect whatever decision CAS delivers.
“There is nothing more I can say. We must wait for the decision of CAS, which is the highest decision-making body in football. We will implement that decision,” he stated.
The ruling has shaken confidence in CAF’s governance, with Veron Mosengo-Omba stepping down as the organisation’s general secretary on March 29 amid the fallout.
Motsepe acknowledged longstanding concerns about credibility within African football and said reforms were underway to strengthen integrity. He noted that some decisions by referees, VAR operators, and judicial bodies had not enjoyed the trust of fans and stakeholders.
“These changes we are implementing are to ensure African football reflects the highest degree of respect and integrity in decisions taken by referees and judicial bodies,” he said.
The CAF president also disclosed that the detention of 18 Senegalese fans in Morocco following disturbances at the final was being handled at a diplomatic level.
After concluding his visit to Dakar, Motsepe travelled to Morocco, where he is scheduled to meet football federation chief Fouzi Lekjaa and government officials as part of efforts to ease tensions.
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