Congo: life imprisonment for a football official | OneFootball

Former FECOFOOT president handed heavy sentence

Congo: life imprisonment for a football official

Congo's football world is reeling from a sensational judicial scandal. The former president of the Congolese Football Federation, Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for embezzling funds intended for the development of football.

According to the verdict handed down by Congolese authorities, the former head of national football was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme that siphoned off more than a million dollars from FIFA funding. These funds, allocated notably during the COVID-19 pandemic, were meant to foster women’s football and build a new training center.

A web of embezzlement uncovered

Investigations revealed that the money was funneled through shell companies and used for illegal purposes. The charges against the former official include money laundering, forgery, use of forged documents, and illegal conflict of interest.

Several associates of the former president were also convicted in the case. His son, Lionel Mayolas, along with Catherine Marie Nandiba and Ngouassika Boula Dasylva Horjeancine, were each handed life sentences as well.

Meanwhile, the federation’s former secretary general, Badji Mombo, and ex-treasurer Raoul Kanda were both sentenced to five years in prison.

The federation in turmoil

The verdict has sent shockwaves through FECOFOOT’s institutions. With its former president convicted and several key administrators implicated, the federation’s executive committee has been severely weakened, paving the way for a possible overhaul of football governance in Congo.

Beyond the legal scandal, the entire credibility of Congolese football is now at stake. The embezzled funds were supposed to support critical projects, particularly the promotion of women’s football and the upgrading of sports infrastructure.