CAF President flies to Senegal... What kind of reception will he receive in Dakar? | Goal.com

Published on 06 Apr 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

The fallout from the unfinished 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final continues, opening a new chapter of tension between Senegal and Morocco, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s decision to award the title to Morocco “on the table” a wave of widespread anger in Senegalese sporting circles, and accusations of a lack of fairness in the handling of the case.

Since the decision was announced, African football has been in the throes of an unprecedented crisis, after Senegal decided to lodge a formal appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that its team’s withdrawal from the final occurred under “compelling” circumstances that cannot be ignored.

Amid this tension, CAF attempted to defuse the anger through balanced statements and comments, but public and political unrest in Dakar continued to escalate, prompting the president of the African Football Confederation to intervene personally.

Background to the crisis

The story began on a tense night in Casablanca, when the final between Morocco and Senegal was halted following chaos in the stands and clashes on the pitch, ending with the Senegalese team’s withdrawal, only for them to return and win 1–0.

Subsequently, the CAF Disciplinary Committee decided to declare Morocco the winner by a score of 3-0, a decision that prompted a formal objection from the Senegalese Football Federation, which deemed the ruling “unfair” and called for it to be reviewed.

Although weeks have passed since the incident, CAF has not officially announced Morocco’s victory, content to leave the case open for a final ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Read also: Controversy reignites... Senegal prepares for legal action that could change the fate of the African title

Motsepe steps in

Amid this tense situation, media reports have revealed that the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, has decided to intervene personally to contain the crisis.

According to Senegalese journalist Lassana Camara, Motsepe is due to arrive in the capital, Dakar, in the coming hours on an official visit aimed at calming tensions and opening channels of dialogue with Senegalese officials.

The CAF president is expected to meet on Tuesday with a number of officials from the Senegalese Football Federation and government representatives, in an attempt to restore trust between the two sides and set the stage before any new legal steps are taken.

A conciliatory message from Cairo

Motsepe had hinted at this visit during a press conference he held in Cairo on 29 March, following a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee, confirming that he would work to “repair what can be repaired” by visiting both Senegal and Morocco.

He said at the time: “We will not allow football to cause tensions in the historic relationship between the Moroccan and Senegalese peoples.”

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