‎Patrice Motsepe: CAF Boss Responds to Corruption Claims After Move to Strip Senegal of AFCON Title

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has defended the decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nation and hand it in to Morocco.

The CAF Appeals Board on Tuesday made a landmark ruling, stripping Senegal of the title over breach of Article 48 of CAF regulations after their players walked off the pitch during the AFCON 2025 final against Morocco before they resumed play and later won the match in extra time.

While the controversy had seen both Senegal and Morocco punished by the CAF Disciplinary Board, the North African country expressed disappointment and appealed, leading to the CAF Appeal Board decision on March 17.

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That move has been slammed all over the world with CAF told off for messing up African football while others feel it soils the integrity of the continent even further. However, Motsepe insists a precedent had to be set.

“I previously expressed my extreme disappointment with the incidents that took place at the final match,” Motsepe said on CAF TV.

“The important thing of what happened in that final match is that it undermines the good work that CAF has done over many years to ensure that there is integrity, respect, ethics, governance as well as credibility of results of our football matches.

“Those incidents of the final match of AFCON Morocco exposes the work that we are still dealing with concerning the suspicion. It is a legacy issue. When I became president, there were concerns about the impartiality of referees and match commissioners and a lot of good work has been done but there continues to be suspicion because it is a legacy issue.”

There have been concerns over the independence of the CAF Appeal Board with some claiming it was receiving instructions from elsewhere as others question whether it is well-constituted.

The board is composed of a president from Nigeria, a vice president from Cape Verde, and members from Tunisia, Mauritania, Togo (two), Djibouti, Namibia, Malawi and DR Congo.

“Another important matter that these incidents at the final match brought to the force is the independence of our judicial bodies,” he added.

“By choosing the members of our judicial body, we followed a different path. Different from what had been the case before. We invited each member association and zone, the six regional areas in CAF, to give us names of respected lawyers and judges because it is important that the decisions of our disciplinary boards are viewed with integrity.

“If you look at the composition of this body, they reflect some of the most respected lawyers and judges on the continent but we will still have to deal with the perception and concerns of integrity and have a track record.”

Motsepe has welcomed Senegal’s move to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and is ready for whatever outcome.

“I am told that the Senegalese are going to appeal and it is important that everyone of the 54 nations in Africa have a right to pursue and advance their interest in the highest body which is CAS and we will adhere and respect the decision taken at the highest level,” said Motsepe.

“Not a single country will be treated in a manner that is preferential or is not favourable in Africa. We take what happened at the final match very seriously and we have started important steps to make sure that we correct areas that are deficiencient."