CAF president Patrice Motsepe has issued a call for whistleblowers to come forward with any information regarding corruption within the Confederation or the broader African football landscape.
Motsepe was speaking during his high-profile visit to Dakar, Senegal, on Wednesday as part of his ongoing engagement with football authorities and the government. During the visit, he met with the Senegalese head of state, HE Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and the vice-president of the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football [FSF], Mr Abdoulaye Fall.
His visit comes in the wake of the controversial decision made by the CAF Appeals Board to strip Senegal of their AFCON title. The Teranga Lions defeated Morocco in the final in January this year, but the match in Rabat was marred by controversy after the Senegalese side left the field for a period of time in protest against refereeing decisions.
The Senegalese Football Federation [FSF] has since escalated the matter by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS]. Following his stop in Dakar, Motsepe is also expected to visit Morocco on Thursday to hold a meeting with the President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football [FRMF], Fouzi Lekjaa.
CAF PRESIDENT SAYS HE WOULD WELCOME INVESTIGATIONS ON CORRUPTION
“I welcome any investigation. Whether it’s an investigation by the government, an authority, or anybody,” Motsepe told journalists. “I welcome and support that. Any corruption in CAF we want to know about, and we will take action ourselves, immediately. We have a duty to our people in Africa. If any government or any institution, please go ahead and conduct the investigations. We will give you the cooperation. In fact, I encourage you.”
The CAF president added: “If you know anything, let us know because I can tell you, while I am president of CAF, we will never conceal any corruption. Corruption is worse than COVID-19; it is worse than cancer. It is the biggest problem not just in football. That is the best gift we can give to our football in Africa, and not just talk about corruption, but intervene, put the necessary laws in place and implement them.
“We are confident that we will emerge from these challenges united as 54 African nations, stronger than we have ever been. African football will continue to be globally competitive and respected worldwide; that is a crucial objective of the fundamental changes we are currently introducing at CAF.”
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