Fifa Takes Action Against Congolese Football Federation Leaders Imprisoned for Fraud

Investigation Launched into Fecofoot Officials

Fifa has initiated disciplinary proceedings against three high-ranking officials from the Congolese football body, Fecofoot.

Serious Charges Against Each Official

The individuals involved include Fecofoot president Jean-Guy Mayolas, who was sentenced to life in prison along with his wife and son for embezzling funds allocated by Fifa. Their trial took place in absentia, with the family’s current location being unknown.

On March 10, a court in Brazzaville convicted Mayolas, Fecofoot’s general secretary Wantete Badji, and treasurer Raoul Kanda for multiple offenses including money laundering and forgery.

• Mayolas: Life sentence
• Badji and Kanda: Five-year sentences

Fifa’s ethics committee is now conducting a financial misconduct investigation, having received new evidence during their review.

Notable Allegations

According to Fifa, the charges include forgery and conflicts of interest related to accepting and offering gifts. The criminal trial established that approximately $1.3 million in Fifa funds were mishandled, with these funds intended for projects such as a training facility and women’s football initiatives, as well as Covid relief.

A signed statement from leaders of women’s clubs in the national league claimed that only a minimal fraction of the promised funds had been distributed.

Previous Misconduct and Federation Suspension

This is not the first time Mayolas and Badji have faced scrutiny from Fifa; both were banned for six months in 2015 for violating regulations on gifts and benefits while Mayolas served as vice president of Fecofoot at that time.

In February of last year, Fecofoot was suspended by Fifa due to political interference following the removal of Mayolas by the Congolese government. This suspension forced the national team to forfeit two qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup against Zambia and Tanzania.

Fifa lifted the suspension in May after specific conditions were fulfilled, including restoring full governing authority of the federation’s headquarters back to Fecofoot’s executive committee.