A Congolese court in Brazzaville has slapped the president of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT), Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, with a life prison term after being found guilty of money laundering, embezzlement, forgery, and misuse of FIFA funds.

The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, March 10, in absentia, also sentenced the president’s wife and son, as they were implicated in the charges for which they were found guilty.

Mayolas was accused of diverting around $1.3 million in funds provided by FIFA. It was alleged that he siphoned about $500,000 through a network of shell companies, which was earmarked for the country’s women’s national team.

When his woes began

Mayola’s woes started in the middle of last year, when the presidents of the clubs competing in the Congolese Women’s Championship submitted a formal complaint to the Central Intelligence and Documentation Office, claiming that the $500,000 sent by FIFA to FECOFOOT in 2021 as part of its Covid-19 relief programme, only $20,000 had reached them, meaning $30,000.

Following this, FIFA’s audit reports flagged irregularities in the use of funds allocated to FECOFOOT.

The court also handed prison terms to several senior federation officials.

FECOFOOT’s general secretary, Badji Mombo Wantete, and treasurer, Raoul Kanda, were each sentenced to five years behind bars for their involvement in the financial irregularities.

Prosecutors said the verdict followed an eight-month investigation that examined banking records, financial documents and the federation’s internal administrative and accounting procedures.

The developments come as the DR Congo national football team prepares for a crucial fixture in the race for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The side is scheduled to play its final inter-confederation playoff match on March 31, 2026, at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, with a World Cup spot at stake.