Patrice Motsepe: How CAF Will Avoid a Repeat of the 2025 Controversy at AFCON 2027

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has addressed the controversy surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, outlining the measures the governing body is taking to prevent similar incidents during the 2027 tournament.

The 2025 AFCON final between Senegal and hosts Morocco descended into chaos after Senegal's players walked off the pitch during stoppage time in protest over a refereeing decision.

Although captain Sadio Mané eventually convinced his teammates to resume play following a 17-minute delay, with Senegal going on to win 1-0 after extra time, the celebrations were short-lived.

Months later, CAF overturned the result, ruling that Senegal's temporary walk-off amounted to a match forfeiture. The governing body awarded Morocco a 3-0 administrative victory and stripped Senegal of the continental title.

The decision sparked widespread outrage in Senegal, with the country's football federation accusing CAF of corruption before appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Addressing the controversy, Patrice Motsepe said the matter is now in the hands of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), stressing that CAF would fully abide by whatever ruling the independent tribunal delivers.

The CAF president emphasised that once the legal process is concluded, the continental governing body will implement the outcome without hesitation.

He also noted that contentious officiating decisions are not unique to African football, pointing out that even the FIFA World Cup has witnessed moments where referees' calls have sparked intense debate among players, officials and supporters.

Patrice Motsepe further addressed comments he had previously made about repeatedly being asked about the disputed AFCON final, saying his remarks had been misunderstood. He explained that he had not intended to suggest he was personally frustrated by the media's questions.

Instead, he said his point was that the prolonged discussion surrounding the incident had become exhausting for everyone involved, including the public, journalists and CAF officials, as the same issues continued to be revisited while the case remained before CAS.

"The process is now before CAS, and whatever decision they take, we will respect and implement. I mean, look at what happened at the World Cup: decisions that referees take, there's always a contestation," Patrice Motsepe said.

“I'm very happy…we've had lots of discussions, and I'm told that what I said was that I'm sick and tired of answering the same question. It's not totally correct. What I actually meant was I think people are sick and tired, and so am I, of giving you the same answer all the time."

Turning his attention to AFCON 2027, Patrice Motsepe said CAF has already begun implementing reforms aimed at ensuring the next edition of the tournament is free from the controversies that overshadowed the 2025 final.

He revealed that the governing body has introduced new regulations designed to strengthen match management and minimise the likelihood of similar incidents occurring in the future.

According to the CAF president, the organisation has also intensified its engagement with referees, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials and match commissioners to ensure there is a consistent understanding and application of the Laws of the Game across the competition.

Motsepe stressed that maintaining confidence in the integrity of officiating remains one of CAF's top priorities, explaining that supporters, players and teams must have complete faith that every result is determined solely by performances on the pitch.

He said the governing body's objective is to create an environment where transparency, fairness and accountability underpin every decision, ensuring the credibility of Africa's flagship football tournament is protected.

"What we have to do is to learn from what happened, and we've already passed laws to make sure that what happened in Morocco never happens again. We also want to keep engaging with the referees and VAR match commissioners to make sure that the rules and the laws are very clear," he said.

"At the end of the day, what ordinary football people think on the continent about the results is critically important. The integrity of the decisions that are taken, and there must always be a clear perception that you win because you're the best. You don't win because the referee takes decisions that are questionable or the questionable VAR decisions are taken."