President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has said he would welcome any investigation into alleged corruption within the organisation, insisting that African football’s governing body has “nothing to hide.”
Motsepe made the remarks on Wednesday after holding talks with Senegalese authorities in Dakar, amid lingering tensions following a controversial decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco.
The Senegalese government had last month called for a probe into CAF’s processes after the ruling by the CAF Appeal Board, which overturned the result of the January 18 final played in Rabat.
Senegal had initially won the match 1-0, but the game was marred by chaotic scenes late on, with players temporarily walking off the pitch in protest against a refereeing decision.
During his visit, Motsepe met with officials of the Senegalese Football Federation as well as President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, where he called for unity in the aftermath of the dispute. He is expected to continue consultations in Morocco on Thursday.
“I would welcome any investigation into corruption at CAF, be it by a government or any institution,” Motsepe told reporters. “In fact, I would encourage it. We will give them our full cooperation.”
He acknowledged past concerns about governance, stressing that stronger measures must be put in place to combat corruption across football and beyond.
“We cannot give our children the perception that if you want to succeed in life, be corrupt. There has to be zero tolerance,” he said, adding that meaningful reforms must go beyond rhetoric to enforcement.
Motsepe declined to comment further on the ongoing dispute between Senegal and Morocco, noting that the matter is now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“There is nothing I can tell you that I haven’t said already,” he said. “I have an obligation to respect that the matter is now in front of the highest sports court in the world.”
He also dismissed claims that Morocco received preferential treatment during the appeal process, maintaining that CAF remains committed to fairness.
“Under no circumstances will any single country in Africa be treated more favourably than any other. That will never happen,” Motsepe said.
