FILE - Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe claps during the 73rd FIFA Congress, in Kigali, Rwanda, March 16, 2023. Photo: AP
The controversy stems from the 2025 AFCON final, in which Senegal defeated Morocco 1–0 after extra time in a match that was completed despite brief interruptions.
During the 18 th January final, some Senegal players temporarily left the pitch in protest over a disputed penalty but later returned, allowing the match to resume and conclude under the referee’s supervision.
While Morocco’s initial protest over the title was rejected by CAF’s disciplinary board, the appeals board later ruled that the interruption constituted grounds for a forfeit, overturning the result and awarding Morocco a 3–0 victory.
The decision has sparked global controversy due to its unprecedented nature, raising questions over transparency, fairness and credibility in CAF competitions.
Motsepe, a South African who has led CAF since 2021 and was re-elected in 2025, said the organization remained committed to fair play and denied any preferential treatment amid perceptions that Morocco wields undue influence in African football.
“It is important that the decisions of our disciplinary board and appeals board are viewed with respect and integrity,” Motsepe said in a video statement released on Wednesday.
“If you look at the composition of those bodies, they reflect some of the most respected lawyers and judges on the continent.
“A critical factor is that not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential, more advantageous or more favorable than any other country on the African continent,” he added.
Motsepe said African football continued to face trust issues linked to historical concerns over governance and integrity.
The Senegalese government on Wednesday expressed “deep dismay” at what it described as an unprecedented decision that undermines fairness, integrity and respect for results achieved on the field.
It said the ruling was based on a “manifestly erroneous interpretation” of regulations and warned it could damage CAF’s credibility and erode public trust in African football institutions.
Senegal also called for an independent international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF’s governing bodies.
“I previously expressed my extreme disappointment with the incidents that took place at the final.
“It undermines the good work that CAF has done over many years to ensure integrity, respect, ethics, governance and the credibility of the results of our football matches.
“We are still dealing with suspicion and mistrust. It’s a legacy issue. When I became president, one of the major concerns was the impartiality, independence and respect of referees and match commissioners, and a lot of good work has been done.”
Motsepe confirmed CAF would respect any further ruling after the Senegalese Football Federation said it would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, describing the decision as “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable”.
“I’m told that Senegal is going to appeal, which is very important. Every one of the 54 nations in Africa has a right to pursue appeals and we will adhere to and respect the decision taken at the highest level,” he concluded.
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