Patrice Motsepe, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), says he was called upon to resolve a minor issue involving Burna Boy at a Moroccan airport.
Mosepe spoke at a press conference prior to Nigeria’s third-place playoff match at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
He said the Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, who performed at the tournament’s closing concert, was briefly detained by customs officials due to the substantial amount of jewellery in his possession.
According to Motsepe, he received an urgent request to intervene after airport authorities raised concerns during a routine customs check.
He emphasised that the hold-up was not an accusation of wrongdoing but a standard procedural matter requiring a declaration of high-value items.
I was called that president please you have to intervene because there are challenges at the airport. I asked what happened and they said ‘Burna Boy has too many beautiful jewellery and like in every country, he just has to declare them’. And the matter was resolved, he said.
The final of 2026 AFCON is set to take on January 18 at the Complex Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah between the competition’s hosts Morocco and Senegal.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria clinched the tournament’s bronze medal after defeating Egypt in a 4-2 penalty shootout on January 17.
