AFCON
Super Eagles Pacify French Club, Nice With Delayed AFCON Arrival Of Moffi –
Nigeria will allow striker Terem Moffi to play for French club Nice at the weekend before he heads to the Africa Cup of Nations but Cameroon are blocking teenager Regis Mughe from turning out for Marseille after he refused a call-up to the finals.
The two contrasting approaches come in the perennial club versus country battle that marks the two-yearly tournament.
The Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Abidjan on Saturday, is being held mid-season and FIFA rules mean clubs must give up their players for the continental championship even if they then miss crucial domestic games over the next weeks.
It is a situation which draws repeated fire from aggrieved coaches and puts the players in an awkward situation of having to choose club over country or vice versa.
Sometimes compromises are reached, however, like Andre Onana staying at Manchester United to play against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday before flying out to the tournament in the Ivory Coast. He will likely miss Cameroon’s opening game against Ghana on Monday.
Moffi, who is his club’s top scorer this season with six, was a late call-up by Nigeria this week and it has been agreed he can stay and play against Stade Rennais on Saturday and miss Nigeria’s opening game on Sunday.
But Olympique de Marseille teenager Mughe, who turned down a call-up by Cameroon, has been blocked from playing for his club.
It was a first call-up from Cameroon for the 19-year-old but with another seven Marseille players also heading to the Cup of Nations, he felt it an opportunity to stay behind and get some playing time in the first team.
“I read that it was us, as a club, who advised him not to go to the Nations Cup,” said Marseille coach Gennaro Gattuso. “I want to make it clear, it was his decision and we have supported him as a club. There are currently discussions between the club and Cameroon. At the moment he is not available. If there are changes, he will be in the squad,” he added.
REFUSE
Countries can force players who refuse a national team call-up to sit out club matches for the duration of the tournament, plus an extra five days punishment.
For this year’s Cup of Nations, players hail from clubs in 70 different countries, reflective of the consistent export of African footballers to all corners of the world.
Given the French colonial history and continued close links with Africa, it is no surprise that French clubs are again most affected, with 92 players called up from 36 different clubs, from Ligue 1 down to the amateur ranks.
Decades ago, the African championship was timed to fit in with their winter break but now overlaps with both key league and cup games in France.
Struggling Lorient, second from bottom in Ligue 1, must do without seven players over the coming weeks at a time when they could use all available resources.
In the Premier League, Nottingham Forest will be without six while Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen will miss four Africans from their squad.
“I said ‘If I wish you good luck it would be a lie,’” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp joked last week about talisman Mohamed Salah leaving to play for Egypt.
“From a personal point of view, I would be overly happy if they go out of the group stage.”
-Reuters
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe would welcome an investigation into corruption at the organisation, saying they have nothing to hide following a meeting with Senegalese officials in Dakar on Wednesday.
Senegal’s government last month demanded an investigation into corruption after the country was stripped of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title by the CAF Appeal Board, and the trophy was awarded to the final opponents, Morocco.
It follows unruly scenes in the January 18 decider in Rabat that Senegal won 1-0, but during which they left the field for several minutes in protest at a late refereeing decision.
Motsepe met with officials from the Senegalese Football Federation and Senegal president Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Wednesday, where he urged unity following the fallout from the final. He will be in Morocco on Thursday for a similar set of meetings.
“I would welcome any investigation into corruption at CAF, be it by a government or any institution,” Motsepe told reporters. “In fact, I would encourage it. We will give them our full cooperation.
“I have been told there were problems in the past and we intervened. It is not just in football, but in business and politics too. We cannot give our children the perception that if you want to succeed in life, be corrupt. There has to be zero tolerance (for corruption).
“That’s the best gift we can give football in Africa. Not just talking about corruption, but intervene, put the necessary laws in place) and implement them.”
Motsepe would not be drawn on the matter between Senegal and Morocco, which is now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“There is nothing I can tell you that I haven’t said already 10, 15, 20 times. You can ask me the same question 100 times, I’ll give you the same answer 100 times. I have an obligation to respect that the matter is now in front of the highest (sports) court in the world.”
Motsepe quashed any suggestion that Morocco had been treated favourably in the appeal process.
“Under no circumstances will any single country in Africa be treated more preferentially or more favourably than any other. That will never happen,” he said.
“We are confident we will come out of these challenges more united amongst the 54 nations in Africa.”
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja.
Patrice Motsepe has intensified his diplomatic shuttle across African football corridors with a crucial visit to Morocco scheduled for Thursday, as the fallout from the controversial AFCON 2025 Final continues to reverberate across the continent.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that Motsepe will meet with Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), alongside other key stakeholders within Morocco’s football ecosystem.
Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF)
The high-level engagement in Rabat comes barely 24 hours after Motsepe’s crisis-management visit to Senegal, underlining CAF’s urgency in addressing the tensions and conflicting reports that have trailed the AFCON final.
Thursday’s meeting is expected to focus on fact-finding, reconciliation, and institutional alignment following the chaotic circumstances that marred the tournament’s climax. The Moroccan FA has been central to the unfolding controversy, with administrative and refereeing decisions from the final still under scrutiny.
CAF disclosed that the visit will conclude with a press conference in Rabat at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT), where Motsepe is expected to address the media and possibly provide updates on CAF’s ongoing review of the final.
While details of the agenda remain closely guarded, the visit signals a continuation of Motsepe’s hands-on approach to crisis resolution, engaging directly with national federations in a bid to preserve the integrity of African football competitions.
CAF and the FRMF have indicated that further details regarding the outcomes of the visit will be communicated in due course, as stakeholders across the continent await clarity on one of the most contentious finals in recent AFCON history.
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CAF President Patrice Motsepe is set to visit Senegal on Wednesday for high-level talks with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and the leadership of the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, in what is widely seen as a crucial diplomatic move amid lingering controversy over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final.
The visit comes against the backdrop of the chaotic and disputed AFCON 2025 final in Rabat, a match marred by heavy rainfall, administrative confusion, and conflicting official reports from within CAF and its committees.
The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of that final has cast a shadow over African football governance, prompting urgent calls for clarity and institutional accountability.
Sources indicate that Motsepe’s meeting with President Faye will extend beyond routine courtesy, touching on broader issues of football governance, tournament integrity, and the role of national associations in safeguarding the credibility of continental competitions.
Senegal, a major stakeholder in African football and one of the continent’s most influential football nations, is expected to play a key role in shaping the narrative going forward.
Motsepe will also hold discussions with Abdoulaye Fall, focusing on collaboration between CAF and its member associations, as well as mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of the controversies that plagued the AFCON final.
While CAF has yet to officially outline the agenda, observers believe the visit signals an attempt by the continental body to consolidate support among key football nations and manage the fallout from the final’s unresolved issues.
The optics of engaging directly with political leadership further underline the seriousness of the situation.
CAF and the Senegalese Football Federation have both stated that more details regarding the visit will be released in due course, leaving stakeholders across the continent watching closely for signals on how African football’s governing body intends to restore confidence in its competitions.
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