The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, has dismissed allegations of corruption levelled against the continental football body by the Senegalese government, insisting that CAF has “nothing to hide.”
Motsepe made the remarks on Thursday during a press briefing in Morocco, where he defended the integrity of the organisation amid controversy surrounding a disputed Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) decision.
The CAF president said he welcomed any legal challenge that questions the body’s integrity, stressing that transparency would be maintained throughout any investigation.
“If anybody wants to initiate legal action alleging that there is corruption in CAF I don’t only welcome that, I encourage them,” he said.
“There’s nothing to hide. We respect enormously the judicial and legal sovereignty of every single one of our 54 nations on the African continent,” Motsepe added.
He also stated at the same press conference that CAF would comply with any ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), noting that the organisation remains committed to due process.
“I’m confident that whatever the decision of CAS will say, we will respect it and we will implement it,” he said.
The controversy followed CAF’s decision to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 win over Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final, a ruling that has sparked strong reactions from Senegalese authorities.
The governing body ruled that Morocco be awarded a 3-0 victory after Senegal’s team reportedly walked off the pitch in protest during the match in Rabat following a late penalty decision.
The Senegalese Football Federation has since appealed the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, while the Senegalese government has called for an international investigation into alleged misconduct within CAF.
The dispute has intensified scrutiny of the organisation, with both countries awaiting the outcome of ongoing legal proceedings.
