The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, visited Dakar on Wednesday, nearly a month after CAF controversially stripped Senegal of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and awarded it to Morocco.
Motsepe, who announced the trip at the end of March, said his visit to Senegal and Morocco aims to reinforce the importance of cooperation in developing African football, even as the governing body faces widespread criticism.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is scheduled to receive Motsepe at the presidential palace, followed by a press conference.
The visit comes amid tension stemming from CAF’s decision to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 victory against hosts Morocco in the AFCON final on January 18. CAF cited regulations regarding leaving the field, recording a 3-0 victory in Morocco’s favor on March 17, after Senegalese players, head coach Pape Thiaw, and staff walked off the pitch in protest of an added-time penalty awarded to Morocco, which forward Brahim Diaz subsequently missed.
The Senegalese Football Federation has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), while the Senegalese government has called for an international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF.
Motsepe has stated that CAF will “respect and implement the CAS decision,” emphasizing that his personal opinion on the matter is “irrelevant.”
