“Senegal fires criticism: ‘Morocco controls the coffee and decides everything'”

Abdoulaye Fall, the president of the Senegalese Football Federation, does not hold back in criticizing Morocco’s growing influence in the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Following the controversial final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where Senegal triumphed over host Morocco with a solitary goal in extra time, Fall raised serious questions about the control that the North African country exerts over the organization responsible for football in Africa.

In strong statements to the newspaper “Le Soleil,” Fall did not hesitate to assert: “Morocco controls the CAF, we must say this. They control everything and decide everything. There is no country that has opposed Morocco as Senegal has.” This assertion is not merely rhetorical; it is an accusation that reflects the underlying tensions in African football.

Fall detailed a specific situation that exemplifies his concern: the CAF’s attempt to impose the Mohammed VI complex as a training venue for the Senegalese national team during the competition. The FSF president deemed this requirement unacceptable, arguing that such a decision would put his team at risk, vulnerable to “spies” from other national teams. “When Abdoulaye Sow [secretary-general of the FSF] informed me about this, I told him clearly: we are not going there. We would be completely exposed. The slightest detail can be observed,” Fall explained, revealing his determination to protect the integrity of the national team.

Fall’s outrage was not limited to logistical issues. He also expressed his frustration with the lack of security during Senegal’s reception in Rabat, pointing fingers at Faouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, and other CAF officials. “Everyone was passing the responsibility onto each other. At that moment, I realized they were deceiving me,” said Fall, conveying the sense of betrayal and distrust that permeates the relationships between the federations.

Additionally, the Senegalese president criticized CAF for failing to meet the deadlines established for appointing the referee for the final, which he claimed was an intentional oversight. “The regulations provide a minimum timeframe to refuse a referee, but we were only informed the night before the final, at 10 PM,” lamented Fall. This lack of communication resulted in a protest letter from the Senegalese team that was sent to CAF while the match was already underway. “They have the means, and many countries do not dare to go against their will,” Fall concluded, highlighting the power disparity between the federations on the African continent.

Abdoulaye Fall’s statements raise a red flag about the need for greater transparency and fairness in CAF’s decisions, especially in competitions involving multiple nations. The future of African football may depend on the federations’ ability to unite and challenge the dominance of a single country over the decisions that shape the sport on the continent.