AFCON 2025: CAF Insider Spills Secret Push by Patrice Motsepe to Morocco Ahead of CAS Ruling

The past few months have been a turbulent period for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and its president, South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe.

The recent decision by CAF’s appeal board to strip Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy and award it to Morocco has plunged Motsepe into the most challenging crisis of his presidency.

Following a CAF executive committee meeting in Cairo, one member highlighted the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the Guardian, the member highlighted why Patrice Motsepe must now put in the work to ensure the reputation is restored.

"It is very clear to me Motsepe will have to show leadership to find a solution to a problem I think cannot be solved by legal means alone," the member stated as quoted by the Guardian.

The proposed solution involves delicate political manoeuvring. "Motsepe has to put pressure on Morocco to withdraw the original complaint, so this case can end and CAF, as an organisation, can avoid humiliation at CAS [the Court of Arbitration for Sport]," the source explained. "But will the Moroccan Football Federation president, Fouzi Lekjaa, agree to this?"

This will be a difficult task, as public sentiment in Morocco strongly supports the decision, viewing it as the correction of a major injustice. Any reversal would likely require an order from the country's monarch, King Mohammed VI.

With the final destination of the 2025 AFCON title now set to be decided in a Swiss courtroom, the tournament's 69-year history is being tarnished like never before.

Patrice Motsepe has confirmed that CAF will refrain from further comment until CAS delivers its verdict, though the timeline for that decision remains uncertain.

However, Motsepe acknowledged the urgent need for an overhaul of CAF's judicial bodies to prevent conflicts of interest.

A key point of contention is the presence of Moez Nasri, president of the Tunisian Football Federation, on the five-man appeal board that ruled against Senegal. This issue is expected to be a central argument in Senegal's appeal to CAS.

"When I was informed that one of the people on the appeal board was a president of one of our football associations, I responded: ‘But come on, what is this? How did he end up there?’" Motsepe admitted in Cairo.

"Of course, we must draw lessons from this kind of thing... He shouldn’t have been there. We need more rigour in how CAF’s jurists are appointed."

Meanwhile, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations postponement has also raised concerns over how CAF operates.