AFCON
CAF VP, FOUZI LEKJAA OPENS CAN OF WORMS IN CAF
The president of Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, who is also a vice president in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has pointed fingers at the “deep-seated” corruption and “other dysfunction” at the heart of the confederation.
In a report published in Morocco World News, Lekjaa reportedly made the comments during an FRMF meeting in Skhirat, a coastal town between Rabat and Casablanca.
According to the report, Lekjaa vented his frustration at CAF for the “unfair” and “biased” treatment Moroccan clubs have faced while participating in African tournaments.
Amid the still unsettled Wydad-ES Tunis scandal, the Moroccan official’s statements reflect the feeling, widely reported in news outlets and expressed among some CAF officials in the past months, that Moroccan club Wydad was victim of a deliberate VAR-rigging by its Tunisian opponent.
The VAR system at the Rades stadium in Tunis was defective on match day during the second leg between Morocco’s Wydad and Tunisia’s Esperance.
The game was later stopped halfway through when Wydad players requested that the referee use VAR to confirm an equalizing goal. Only after the match did Wydad learn that the stadium’s VAR system had broken down shortly before the game.
Without giving names, Lekjaa reiterated his earlier comments at the latest CAF executive meeting on reforms, saying that a “rich man” who has made his fortune in the energy sector is currently pulling the CAF strings from behind the curtains.
This, he contended, is reason enough to argue that almost all of CAF’s most critical decisions in the past years have been made in a way that favours the unnamed energy mogul’s agenda. “Some teams have been benefitting” from CAF’s currently rotten management system, he claimed.
Other than the “biased” ruling, which he said helped deny Wydad its “legitimate right” to be the winner over ES Tunis, Lekjaa spoke of the age problem in junior African football competitions for national teams. He complained about many countries getting way with age falsification, when the ages of much older players are reduced to make them eligible for their countries’ U17 or U23 teams.
A recent age falsification occurred at the latest U17 CAN in Morocco’s group, where both Guinea and Cameroon were suspected of using ineligible players.
Cameroon succeeded in brushing off the accusations, showing birth certificates and other documents that helped settle the debate. But the proof against Guinea—including former passports of the two players whose age was disputed—was damming. Guinea’s U17 squad was later revealed to have indeed used two players in their twenties.
But only after the tournament, whose final Guinea played and lost against Cameroon, was the West African country punished.
Lekjaa also said that Morocco has provided enough proof that the U23 teams of DR Congo and Mali, both of which recently defeated and eliminated Morocco’s U23 squad from continental tournaments, used “false ages” for some of their players. But, Lekjaa blustered, CAF never punished them.
The Moroccan’s indignation comes as CAF undergoes reformist winds at FIFA’s request.
Recently, FIFA appointed its secretary general, the Senegalese Fatma Samoura, as a special supervisor for CAF. The Senegalese comes with a special mandate to cleanse the African footballing body of the pile of scandals its senior officials, including its president, have been associated with in the past months.
Lekjaa, who was recently appointed to be part of the special committee that will be working with Samoura to root out CAF’s deep-seated corruption, finally called for “profound reforms” of CAF management.
He suggested that, despite a large pool of talented players, corruption and favoritism in the highest echelons of African football are some essential reasons why the continent is still battling to reach the level of other confederations.
Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has praised Morocco’s King Mohammed VI for what he described as a powerful gesture of unity and reconciliation following the royal pardon granted to Senegalese supporters convicted over offences linked to the final match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement released on Saturday, Motsepe expressed deep appreciation on behalf of CAF’s 54 member associations, hailing the Moroccan monarch’s decision as a demonstration of football’s ability to foster peace and solidarity across the continent.
“I would like to express our deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for granting His Royal Pardon to the Senegalese supporters convicted of offences relating to the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025,” Motsepe stated.
The CAF president said the pardon reflected Morocco’s enduring commitment to African unity and highlighted football’s growing role as a bridge between nations and cultures.
“CAF has consistently emphasised its commitment to utilise football to contribute to uniting our people from different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds,” he said.
“The pardon by His Majesty King Mohammed VI is an uplifting and motivating illustration of the power of football to unite and bring our people together in Africa and worldwide.”
Motsepe also revealed that during recent visits to both Morocco and Senegal, he had been struck by the deep historical and cultural bonds shared by the two countries.
“I was amazed and impressed when I was briefed about the historic and extensive ties between the people of Senegal and Morocco,” he added.
The statement further reinforced Morocco’s rising influence within African football, especially after successfully hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading football destinations ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Motsepe also extended CAF’s best wishes to Africa’s representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expressing confidence that the continent’s teams would perform strongly on the global stage.
Among the African nations mentioned were Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Former African champions Algeria and Zambia are set for an early showdown after the release of the Group I fixtures for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Algeria host Zambia on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, in what is expected to be one of the headline fixtures of the qualifying campaign, while Togo entertain Burundi in the group’s other opening tie.
The Desert Foxes are favourites to qualify, but Zambia’s growing consistency and Togo’s unpredictability could make the race highly competitive.
Algeria travel to Burundi on Matchday Two before facing Togo in back-to-back encounters across Matchdays Three and Four. Zambia also meet Burundi home and away during the same period.
The potentially decisive fixture comes on March 22, 2027, when Zambia host Algeria in a clash that could determine the final standings.
Group I Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Algeria vs Zambia
- Togo vs Burundi
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Zambia vs Togo
- Burundi vs Algeria
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Algeria vs Togo
- Zambia vs Burundi
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Togo vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Zambia
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Zambia vs Algeria
- Burundi vs Togo
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Togo vs Zambia
- Algeria vs Burundi
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By Kunle Solaja.
African heavyweights Senegal will launch their quest for another Africa Cup of Nations appearance with a home clash against Mozambique in Group J of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The Lions of Teranga, among the continent’s strongest teams in recent years, headline a group that also includes Sudan and Ethiopia.
Senegal host Mozambique on Matchday One on September 21, 2026, while Sudan tackle Ethiopia in the other opening encounter.
Senegal are strong favourites to dominate the group, but Sudan and Mozambique are expected to battle fiercely for qualification points.
The key fixtures may emerge in the double-header between Senegal and Sudan across Matchdays Three and Four, while Mozambique and Ethiopia also face each other home and away.
Senegal travel to Mozambique on Matchday Five before ending their campaign at home against Ethiopia on March 30, 2027.
Group J Fixtures
Matchday 1 — September 21, 2026
- Senegal vs Mozambique
- Sudan vs Ethiopia
Matchday 2 — October 6, 2026
- Mozambique vs Sudan
- Ethiopia vs Senegal
Matchday 3 — October 2026
- Senegal vs Sudan
- Mozambique vs Ethiopia
Matchday 4 — November 17, 2026
- Sudan vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Mozambique
Matchday 5 — March 22, 2027
- Mozambique vs Senegal
- Ethiopia vs Sudan
Matchday 6 — March 30, 2027
- Sudan vs Mozambique
- Senegal vs Ethiopia
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