Senegalese football coach Lamine Ndiaye, currently in charge of Algerian club USM Alger, has publicly criticized the governance of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). His comments come in the context of the ongoing debate surrounding the awarding of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) host rights to Morocco.
In statements reported by African media, Ndiaye expressed strong dissatisfaction with CAF's leadership and decision-making processes. He specifically questioned the circumstances under which Morocco was confirmed as the host for the 2025 tournament after original hosts Guinea were stripped of the rights due to infrastructure unpreparedness.
The Confederation of African Football officially awarded the 2025 AFCON hosting rights to Morocco in September 2023. This followed a decision by CAF's Executive Committee to reassign the tournament from Guinea. The Moroccan bid was unopposed after Algeria, Zambia, and a joint bid from Nigeria and Benin withdrew.
Ndiaye's critique adds to a series of voices within African football that have questioned CAF's transparency and management in recent years. The coach, a respected figure in Senegalese football, argued that such governance issues undermine the development of the sport on the continent. CAF has not issued an official public response to Ndiaye's specific comments.
