CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe has reacted to the decision of the CAF Appeal Board concerning the Final Match between Morocco and Senegal during the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Morocco 2025.
In a 6 minute plus video posted on the CAF official website Dr. Motsepe started by expressing disappointment with the incidents that overshadowed the final.
“I previously expressed my extreme disappointment with the incidents that took place at the final,” Dr. Motsepe said in a video statement released on Wednesday.
“It undermines the good work that CAF has done over many years to ensure integrity, respect, ethics, governance and 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 respect of referees and match commissioners, and a lot of good work has been done,” he added.
Motsepe went on to say that the decisions by the CAF disciplinary board and Appeals Board are viewed with respect and integrity.
He was also quick to admit that there is still an ongoing perception of lack of integrity issues surrounding CAF.
“It is important that the decisions of our disciplinary board and appeals board are viewed with respect and integrity,” he said.
“If you look at the composition of those bodies, they reflect some of the most respected lawyers and judges on the continent.”
“A critical factor is that not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential, more advantageous or more favorable than any other country on the African continent,” he added.
The Appeal Board, an independent CAF judicial body chaired by a judge, overturned Senegal’s 1-0 victory after ruling that the team’s walk off in protest of a stoppage time penalty constituted a violation of Articles 82 and 84. As a result, the final was officially awarded 3-0 to Morocco.
Senegal triumphed 1-0 after extra-time, after controversially exiting the field in protest after hosts Morocco were awarded a contentious stoppage-time penalty, delaying the game for 17 minutes.
Brahim Diaz missed from the spot, his panenka comfortably saved, when play eventually resumed after Sadio Mane convinced his team-mates to return and Senegal won the final thanks to Pape Gueye’s goal in extra-time.
Senegal are now set to appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after they labelled the decision as unprecedented and unacceptable.
