CAF president defends controversial call to strip Senegal of its AFCON 2025 title
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has strongly defended the “integrity and impartiality” of the continent’s football governing body following a firestorm over the 2025 AFCON title. The backlash follows a Tuesday ruling that stripped Senegal of their 1–0 extra-time victory and awarded host nation Morocco a 3–0 default win. The decision was based on findings that Senegal forfeited the match by walking off the field without the referee’s authorization.
The Senegalese government has since called for an international investigation into “suspected corruption,” labeling the reversal “grossly illegal and deeply unjust.” Motsepe, however, pointed to the independence of CAF’s judicial bodies, noting they are composed of “some of the most respected lawyers and judges on the continent.” He argued that the differing conclusions between the initial disciplinary board and the appeals board actually prove their autonomy.
Addressing concerns of favoritism toward Morocco—a rising football superpower and 2030 World Cup co-host—Motsepe was firm. “Not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential, or more advantageous, or more favourable than any other country,” he stated. He emphasized that the incidents during the final undermined years of work spent building the “credibility in the results of our football matches.”
Motsepe acknowledged that distrust remains a “legacy issue” within African football that the organization is constantly working to erase. He stressed that CAF takes the events of the January 18 final “very, very seriously” and has already begun addressing procedural deficiencies. The president insisted that the goal is for ordinary supporters across all 54 member nations to regard CAF’s judicial decisions as fair.
The Senegalese Football Federation has officially confirmed it will take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. Motsepe welcomed this move, stating, “I’m told that Senegal is going to appeal, which is very important. We will adhere and respect the decision that’s taken at the highest level.” The initial January ruling had imposed $1 million in fines but left the scoreline intact, making the recent reversal a historic shift.
As the continent awaits the CAS verdict, the CAF president maintains that strict adherence to regulations is the only way to ensure long-term respect for the game. He concluded that the organization must be judged by its commitment to ethics and governance, regardless of how controversial the individual rulings may be. “It is important for us that ordinary football supporters… regard the decisions of our judicial bodies as fair,” Motsepe added.
