CAF President weighs in on decision to strip Senegal of AFCON title
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 19.03.26. | 09:10
The CAF Appeal Board on Wednesday awarded Morocco a 3-0 win, with Senegal deemed to have forfeited the final by walking off in protest
Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has defended the decision of his Appeal Board to award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title to Morocco after upholding their protest over the outcome of the January 18 final.
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Motsepe, speaking in a CAF video published on Wednesday, 18 March, jumped into the defense of the CAF Appeal Board, stating a case for its independence, hours after stripping Senegal of the AFCON title over infringement of Article 82 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.
In the said match staged in Rabat, Senegal, who won the match 1-0, walked off for 14 minutes at the end of the regulation time in protest of hosts Morocco being awarded a penalty, but returned to win in extra time.
While Morocco's initial protest had been rejected by CAF’s Disciplinary Board, the same governing body's Appeal Board found Senegal had transgressed tournament regulations by staging a walk-off, and handed Morocco the title.
“I previously expressed my extreme disappointment with the incidents that took place at the final," Motsepe said. "It undermines the good work that CAF has done over many, many years to ensure that there's integrity, there's respect, there's ethics, there's governance, as well as 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 the respect of referees and match commissioners, and a lot of good work has been done.”
VIDEO RELEASE: CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe Statement
— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) March 18, 2026
The President of CAF Dr Patrice Motsepe has reacted to the decision of the CAF Appeal Board, an Independent CAF Tribunal Body that is chaired by a Judge, concerning the Final Match between Morocco and Senegal during the…
In responding to the decisions made by the respective CAF disciplinary and appeal boards, Motsepe indicated that both bodies were purely independent entities, comprising of the “most respected lawyers and judges on the continent.”
“It is important that the decisions of our Disciplinary Board and Appeals Board are viewed with respect and integrity," Motsepe said.
"If you look at the composition of those bodies, they reflect some of the most respected lawyers and judges on the continent.
“But we will still have to deal with this perception and concerns about integrity. It's an ongoing issue.”
On Wednesday, the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) announced its intention to appeal the CAF decision they referred to as “unjust, unprecedented, and unacceptable” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Reacting to the development, the South African said: “I'm told that Senegal is going to appeal, which is very important.
Every one of the 54 nations in Africa have a right to pursue appeals and we will adhere and respect the decision that's taken at the highest level.”
In a telling statement, Motsepe also seemed to deny any perception of CAF offering preferential treatment to Morocco, saying: “A critical factor is that 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 on the African continent.”