CAN 2025: près d’un mois après le retrait de la victoire au Sénégal, le président de la CAF en visite à Dakar

Le 08/04 à 13h50

Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is currently in Dakar, Senegal. This high-profile visit comes less than a month after the controversial decision to strip Senegal of its CAN 2025 title, awarding it instead to Morocco. The ruling has sparked considerable outrage and indignation throughout the West African nation.

The atmosphere surrounding the visit is undeniably charged. CAF President Patrice Motsepe arrived in Dakar on Wednesday, approximately a month after the contentious choice to declare Morocco the CAN 2025 champion by forfeit. This decision overturned the on-field outcome where Senegal’s Lions of Teranga had triumphed over Morocco’s Atlas Lions with a 1-0 victory after extra time. This shock ruling has ignited widespread anger and resentment across Senegal.

Patrice Motsepe had previously announced his intention to visit both Senegal and Morocco in late March. His stated goal was to emphasize the critical importance of collaborative efforts in advancing African football, particularly as his institution faces considerable scrutiny and criticism. He landed at Blaise Diagne International Airport, near Dakar, during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, where he was greeted by Abdoulaye Fall, the President of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF).

According to an official CAF statement, the head of African football will commence his visit by exploring Gorée Island, an area rich in historical and memorial significance, symbolizing the transatlantic slave trade, located just off the coast of the Senegalese capital. Following this, he is expected to be received at the palace by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. His engagements will conclude with a press conference scheduled for 5:30 PM (local and GMT, 7:30 PM in France) at a Dakar hotel.

Senegal’s government reacts strongly to CAN 2025 decision

This visit unfolds against a backdrop of heightened tensions, directly stemming from CAF’s contentious decision to reassign the CAN 2025 title from Senegal to Morocco. This ruling followed a chaotic final match held in Rabat in January, which Senegal won 1-0 on the pitch. During that evening, several Senegalese players briefly left the field for about fifteen minutes. This action was a direct response to the referee’s decision to award a penalty to Morocco in added time, shortly after disallowing a Senegalese goal. Ultimately, Brahim Diaz missed the attempted panenka penalty, and Senegal secured their victory in extra time.

On March 17, the CAF appeal jury officially declared the Senegalese team