Patrice Motsepe, the head of the Confederation of African Football, landed in the Senegalese capital under tense circumstances on Wednesday. His visit follows the controversial decision to award the CAN 2025 championship to Morocco on administrative grounds, despite the Lions of the Atlas losing 1-0 in extra time to Senegal’s Lions of Teranga in the final. The move has left the football community in Senegal in shock and anger.

Motsepe had announced in late March that he would travel to both Senegal and Morocco to emphasize the need for unity in African football development. He touched down at Blaise Diagne International Airport late Tuesday, where he was greeted by Abdoulaye Fall, president of the Senegalese Football Federation. According to a CAF statement, the visit will begin with a tour of Gorée Island, a historic site tied to the transatlantic slave trade, before a meeting with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. A press conference is scheduled for 5:30 PM local time (GMT) at a Dakar hotel.

Government calls for transparency after controversial ruling

Senegal’s government has been vocal since the CAF’s March 17 decision to declare Morocco the winner based on articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations. The decision followed a chaotic final in Rabat where Senegalese players briefly walked off the pitch in protest over a contentious penalty call and a disallowed goal. Morocco’s missed penalty in extra time preserved Senegal’s 1-0 win, but the administrative reversal has fueled outrage.

The CAF’s appeal jury ruled Senegal had forfeited the final, handing Morocco a 3-0 victory. The Senegalese Football Federation only received the formal decision three weeks later and has since appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with no timeline for a verdict. The CAF’s decision has drawn sharp criticism in Senegal, with the government demanding an international investigation into alleged corruption within the African football governing body. Motsepe has defended the independence of CAF’s disciplinary bodies, denying any preferential treatment.