Was Morocco Favoured at AFCON 2025? CAF Official Breaks Silence

Amid accusations that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) favoured Morocco at the just-concluded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, an official from the organisation has refuted the claims.

CAF have been slammed for ‘selling’ AFCON 2025 to Morocco with claims that referees were instructed to favour the tournament hosts, who reached the final, before losing to Senegal in dramatic fashion on Sunday.

However, CAF Head of TV and Broadcasting Luxolo September has refuted such accusations, saying they portray a bad image of his boss Patrice Motsepe who has elevated the standards and reputation of African football.

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“Anyone who knows Dr Motsepe as Dr [Irvin] Khoza once described him, he suffers no fools and his name is everything,” September said on South African radio Metro FM hosted by Andile Ncube.

“It is impossible for anyone or CAF to behave that way. It is impossible for a CAF that is led by Dr Patrice Motsepe to ever, ever behave in that particular way.

“Anyone else who works with him, who spends time with him, who understands him knows that his name is non-negotiable. We believe that football results must be decided on the field. The country that is lowest ranked and the country that is highest ranked must be ranked the same.”

September further questioned CAF and Motsepe’s critics, asking how he can be accused of pocketing money to favour a country in a major tournament when he spends his own money on everything since taking over in 2021.

“We have a CAF president who doesn’t take a single cent of football,” September further stated. “CAF doesn’t pay for his travels, meals, salary, not accommodation, or even security. It comes from his pocket. So what would he need from anyone?

“Even when he goes for FIFA tournaments, he pays for his own travel and accommodation. He doesn’t take any cent from FIFA. Today, there is not a single administrator at FIFA, UEFA, CONMEBOL or at CONCACAF that does not take money from football. It is only one.”

Referees were criticised at AFCON 2025 for denying Tanzania and Cameroon penalties when they played against Morocco in the Round of 16 and quarter-final respectively while Nigeria complained about the officiating in their semi-final loss to the Atlas Lions.

It escalated in the final when Senegal had a goal disallowed for what was deemed to be a foul in the build-up, something some felt was needless, while Morocco were awarded a penalty a few minutes later when Brahim Diaz was brought down in the box when a set-piece was being taken.

Senegal would protest, and even walked off the pitch, before resuming play after a tense situation that nearly saw the game stopped. Diaz missed his penalty and the game went into extra-time, where Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored the winner.