Senegal responds to CAF President’s visit to Dakar

The fallout from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final continues, opening a new chapter of tension between Senegal and Morocco following the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award the title to Morocco “on paper” – a decision that has sparked widespread outrage in Senegalese sporting circles, amid accusations of a lack of fairness in the handling of the matter.

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

Despite CAF’s attempts to defuse the situation through balanced statements and comments, public and political tensions in Dakar have continued to escalate, prompting CAF President Patrice Motsepe to intervene personally.

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A conciliatory visit to Dakar

Against this tense backdrop, media reports have revealed that CAF President Patrice Motsepe is set to arrive in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, in the coming hours on an official visit aimed at calming tensions and opening channels of dialogue with the Senegalese side.

According to Senegalese journalist Lassana Camara, the visit will include meetings with the president of the Senegalese Football Federation, Abdoulaye Fall, as well as a private meeting with the country’s president, Bassey Diomaye Faye, in an attempt to restore trust between the two sides and set the stage before any new legal steps are taken.

Senegal opens its doors

For his part, the president of the Senegalese Football Federation, Abdoulaye Fall, confirmed that his country would welcome the CAF president “with open arms”, emphasising that Senegal would remain the land of Teranga, meaning “hospitality and generosity”.

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In a video message addressed to Motsepe, Fall said: “Senegal is the land of Teranga, and Teranga means welcome. We welcome all Africans here in Senegal.”

He continued: “President Motsepe has decided to come to Senegal. He will be welcomed. We are all Africans and this is his country too.”

Motsepe’s visit to Dakar marks a crucial turning point in the crisis that has cast a shadow over the reputation of African football, as the CAF president seeks to restore calm and reaffirm that the continental body remains capable of managing disputes in a spirit of unity and responsibility.

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