Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph has been followed by mounting controversy, with claims that a promised $10m prize remains frozen amid an extraordinary silence from football’s governing bodies.
More than a week after the Lions of Teranga edged Morocco 1-0 to lift the 2025 continental title, questions are growing over why neither the Confederation of African Football (CAF) nor Fifa has publicly congratulated the new champions.
The absence of official recognition has fuelled unease in Dakar and beyond, breaking with long-established protocol after major international tournaments.
At the centre of the dispute is the $10m bonus allocated to the AFCON winners, which has yet to be released.
According to revelations by journalist Hocine Djennad, the delay is linked to Fouzi Lekjaa, the powerful president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
Lekjaa also serves as chair of the CAF Finance Committee and is the authorised signatory for financial transactions, a dual role that has placed him under intense scrutiny.
The same reports allege that the payment has been deliberately blocked at this level, leaving Senegal and other beneficiaries of AFCON bonuses still waiting for funds.
As things stand, no player, official or federation entitled to tournament-related payments has received what is due, an unprecedented situation in the competition’s history.
Beyond the financial impasse, concerns have emerged over what is described as a broader effort to undermine Senegal following their success on Moroccan soil.
Sources cited in the reports suggest that a case has been fabricated behind the scenes against the reigning champions, intensifying perceptions of a power struggle within African football’s leadership.
The controversy has highlighted wider questions about governance and the concentration of authority within CAF’s structures.
Critics argue that the overlap between administrative influence and financial control risks eroding confidence in the organisation at a time when transparency is under close examination.
For now, CAF and Fifa have yet to issue formal statements addressing either the delayed payment or the lack of public acknowledgement of Senegal’s victory.
That silence continues to deepen uncertainty, leaving the African champions in limbo as they await both symbolic recognition and the financial reward attached to their achievement.
As pressure builds for clarity, the episode has cast a shadow over what should have been a celebratory moment for Senegalese football.
Instead, their continental success has become entangled in allegations of institutional inertia and political manoeuvring, raising uncomfortable questions about how victories are honoured – and governed – at the highest level of the African game.
