A criminal court in Brazzaville delivered the ruling on Tuesday, convicting Mayolas of money laundering, forgery, the use of fake documents, and the diversion of public funds. He was tried in his absence after failing to appear in court, and his current location is unknown.
Several people linked to the case were also convicted. His son, Lionel Mayolas, received a life sentence on similar charges and was also tried in absentia.
The federation’s secretary-general, Badji Mombo Wantete, and treasurer Raoul Kanda were each sentenced to five years in prison for helping facilitate the financial crimes.
According to prosecutors, Mayolas diverted about 1.1 million dollars meant for football development in the country. The funds included a 500,000-dollar grant from FIFA’s COVID-19 relief programme intended to support women’s football.
Officials said the money was supposed to be used to organise women’s competitions and improve football facilities, but those projects were never carried out.
FIFA says it regularly checks the financial records of its member associations to ensure that development funds are used properly.
Last year, FIFA suspended the Congolese Football Federation after the government of the Republic of the Congo removed Mayolas from his position in September 2024, citing outside interference in the federation’s operations.
During the suspension, the country lost two qualifying matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The ban was later lifted in May.
