Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), touched down in the Senegalese capital this Wednesday, nearly a month after the governing body controversially awarded the CAN 2025 title to Morocco despite their on-field defeat to Senegal’s Lions of Teranga (0-1 a.p.). The decision, which sparked widespread outrage in Senegal, has left deep tensions in its wake.

Earlier, Motsepe had announced plans to visit both Senegal and Morocco to emphasize the need for unity in African football development. His visit follows intense criticism of the CAF’s handling of the situation. He arrived in the early hours of Wednesday at Blaise Diagne International Airport, where he was greeted by Abdoulaye Fall, president of Senegal’s football federation (FSF).

A day of symbolic gestures and high-level meetings

According to a CAF statement, Motsepe began his visit with a tour of Gorée Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its painful history as a slave-trading post. He is then expected to meet with Senegalese president Bassirou Diomaye Faye before holding a press conference at 5:30 p.m. local time (GMT) in a Dakar hotel.

The visit comes amid escalating tensions following the CAF’s decision to overturn Senegal’s victory and declare Morocco champions based on articles 82 and 84 of the competition’s regulations.

The chaotic January final in Rabat saw Senegalese players walk off the pitch for 15 minutes after a contentious penalty was awarded to Morocco in stoppage time, following the disallowal of a clear Senegalese goal. Morocco’s eventual win in extra time was later nullified by the CAF, which ruled Senegal had forfeited the match.

Senegal’s football federation received the appeal decision only three weeks ago and has since filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), with no date set for a ruling. The decision has provoked strong reactions in Senegal, including calls from the government for an international investigation into alleged corruption within the CAF.

In a March 18 statement, the Senegalese government demanded an inquiry into “suspicions of corruption within the leadership” of the panafrican body. Motsepe responded by asserting that no African nation receives preferential treatment and praised the independence of CAF’s disciplinary bodies.