The misappropriation of nearly $1.3 million in funds from FIFA has resulted in a life sentence for Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, president of the Congolese Football Federation, after he was found guilty of money laundering, embezzlement, and forgery.
The verdict marks a stunning fall from power for the veteran football administrator, who had led Congolese football since 2018 and was once seen as a key figure in the development of the game in the Central African nation.
According to investigators, the funds at the centre of the case were originally allocated by FIFA for two major projects aimed at developing the sport in the country: the growth of women’s football and the construction of a national training centre.
However, prosecutors said a large portion of the money never reached its intended destinations.
Nearly $500,000 that was meant to support the women’s national team reportedly failed to reach the players and officials responsible for the program.
Club presidents later revealed that during the Covid-19 relief plan in 2021, only $20,000 was distributed to clubs despite significantly larger sums being allocated by FIFA.
Investigators also examined approximately $800,000 that had been earmarked for the construction of a national technical training centre in Ignie, located just outside the capital, Brazzaville.
Eight years after the project began, the facility remains incomplete and largely abandoned, with reports describing it as being in ruins.
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Authorities alleged that Mayolas diverted federation funds through a network of shell companies during his tenure at FECOFOOT.
The court also convicted members of Mayolas’ family in connection with the scheme.
His wife and son were both found guilty of their roles in the financial misconduct, while two other officials from the federation received five-year prison sentences.
The case had already drawn international attention months earlier. In September 2025, FIFA suspended Mayolas, along with FECOFOOT’s general secretary, Jean-Claude Wantete, after allegations of financial mismanagement surfaced.
That suspension triggered a major governance crisis within Congolese football and prompted further investigations by local authorities into how development funds had been handled.
GhanaWeb
