The Senegalese government accused African football’s governing body of corruption after Morocco was awarded the AFCON title.
Published on 9 April 2026
The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rejected corruption allegations leveled against him following the Senegalese government’s shock decision to strip Senegal of its AFCON title and award it to Morocco.
Speaking in Morocco on Thursday, Patrice Motsepe said, “If someone wants to launch legal action alleging corruption at CAF, I not only welcome them, I also encourage them.”
Recommended Stories
4 item listend of list
“There is nothing to hide. We highly respect the judicial and legal sovereignty of each of our 54 countries on the African continent.
“I am confident that whatever the CAS decision says, we will respect and implement it,” he said, referring to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Motsepe’s visit comes at a particularly tense time for CAF following the surprise decision to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 win against host nation Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final on January 18.
CAF cited rules about leaving the field as it played in a 3–0 away win over Morocco on 17 March.
During the match, Senegal’s players, along with head coach Pep Thiaw and his staff, walked off the field in Rabat after Morocco were awarded an extra-time penalty, which forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed.
The Senegalese Football Federation has appealed against CAF’s decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The decision has drawn a strong reaction from Senegal, whose government has called for an international investigation into suspected corruption within the institution.
