Congo FA President, Wife and Son Sentenced to Life for $1.3M FIFA Fund Misappropriation

• The former Congolese Football Federation president has been sentenced to life in prison for misusing over $1.3 million in FIFA funds
• His son, wife, and several top federation officials also received jail terms, while key development projects remain unfinished years later
• Investigations reveal that funds intended for women’s football, COVID-19 relief, and a national technical centre were allegedly siphoned through shell companies

An African football federation president has reportedly been jailed, alongside his wife and son, over allegations of FIFA funds mismanagement totalling $1.3 million. This follows an 8-month investigation into the goings on at the Federation.

The former president of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT), Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, according to L'Équipe, was found guilty by a court in Brazzaville on Tuesday, 10 March 2025. Charges included fund misappropriation, money laundering, forgery, the use of forged documents, and embezzlement.

The 63-year-old Mayolas received a life sentence. His son, Lionel Mayolas, along with the organisation’s secretary general, Badji Mombo Wantente, and treasurer, Raoul Kanda, were jailed for five years each. The mismanaged funds from FIFA allocations totalled 1.1 million euros and were intended for FECOFOOT projects.

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Mismanaged FIFA funds affect Women’s football

The funds included a 2020 grant of $500,000 for women’s football and approximately 429,000 euros from FIFA’s COVID-19 relief programme. Several football projects, including league launches and sports infrastructure improvements, failed to receive their intended funding. Prosecutors reported that most of the funds were never utilised for their intended purposes.

Further investigations revealed that around $800,000 meant for constructing a national technical centre in Ignie, outside Brazzaville, remains incomplete eight years later. Authorities in Congo allege that Mayolas moved federation funds through a network of shell companies during his tenure as president.

FECOFOOT has previously faced scrutiny from FIFA after being suspended in 2025 following government interference in football. Mayolas was dismissed by the government in September 2024. He is a veteran figure in Congolese football.

African football fans reacted to the news with dismay.

@abeebex01:

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"Make the judgment reach the NFF. Their prison shouldn’t be in Nigeria: send them to Singapore or Vietnam."

@oluyemiemolrit1:

"The NFF has done worse. Please let this kind of judgment reach them too."

@Adexwalex1234:

"Make something like this happen to our NFF as well, abeg."

@adeeko_abiola:

"They should also investigate Glasshouse Azamen."

African Football leaders under the spotlight

Another African football federation president recently faced sanctions. In January, Cameroonian football legend and FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o was handed a four-game suspension following alleged misconduct during Cameroon’s quarterfinal loss to Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Eto’o also faced a $20,000 fine, according to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

CAF President on Morocco hosting tournaments

Briefly News previously reported that CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe has addressed the controversy surrounding Morocco hosting major tournaments in Africa in recent years.

The North African nation has hosted several events recently, raising questions among football fans and analysts about a perceived preference.

Source: Briefly News