CAF President affirms Senegal’s right to appeal AFCON 2025 controversy

By James Ike

The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, has affirmed that Senegal retains the right to challenge the controversial decision that stripped it of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, insisting that no country will receive preferential treatment.

Motsepe made the remarks in a video interview published by CAF on Wednesday, in response to the fallout from the disputed AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco.

“And 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 their appeals and advance their interests, not only at the highest level in Africa, in CAF, but also at the highest body, which is the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” Motsepe said.

The CAF president acknowledged that the controversy surrounding the final had undermined public confidence in African football. “The important thing about what happened in that final match is it undermines the good work that CAF has done over many years to ensure integrity, respect, ethics, governance, and credibility of match results,” he said.

Motsepe described the situation as part of a longstanding credibility challenge within African football, citing ongoing concerns about officiating and governance that predate the 2025 final. “The occurrences at the final match are part of the issues we are still dealing with concerning suspicion and distrust. It’s a legacy issue,” he noted.

He also highlighted scrutiny over the independence of CAF’s judicial bodies. Under his leadership, Motsepe said, CAF adopted a new approach to appointing members of these bodies, inviting associations and regional zones to submit respected judges and lawyers to ensure impartiality.

“Decisions of our disciplinary board and the CAF appeals board must be viewed with the respect and integrity that is very important to us. Not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential or advantageous than any other,” Motsepe emphasized.

CAF overturned the outcome of the AFCON 2025 final, awarding a 3–0 victory to Morocco after upholding an appeal by the Moroccan football federation. Senegal, which had initially won 1–0 on 18 January 2026 through an extra-time goal by Pape Gueye, had staged a 15–20 minute walk-off in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco.

CAF ruled the walk-off violated Article 82 of its regulations, resulting in the reversal of the match outcome.

The decision has sparked widespread debate across the continent. The Senegalese Football Federation is expected to challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, underscoring ongoing tensions over governance, fairness, and credibility in African football.

Motsepe concluded by stressing that CAF has initiated internal reviews following the final. “It is important that ordinary football supporters and spectators in every African country regard the decisions of our judicial bodies as fair, with integrity and impartiality,” he said.