President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has reiterated that he will continue to respect the decisions of independent football judicial bodies, describing them as central to the governance of the game in Africa.
Motsepe said he had been briefed on the ruling delivered by the CAF Appeal Board following Morocco’s protest over the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final.
He also expressed his earlier frustration over the incidents that marred the championship match.
“I’ve been informed of the ruling by the CAF Appeal Board concerning the appeal by Morocco relating to the Afcon-Morocco 2025 final match. I previously expressed my extreme disappointment with the incidents that took place at the final match.” said Motsepe
In his official reaction to the Appeal Board’s decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title and award it to Morocco, Motsepe maintained that CAF would respect the final outcome.
He also commended Senegal for escalating the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), stressing the importance of due process at the highest level.
“The CAF Disciplinary Board took one decision. The CAF appeals board took a totally different position. I’m told that Senegal is going to appeal, which is very important. Every one of the 54 nations in Africa has a right to pursue their appeals and their advanced interests, not only at the highest level in Africa, in CAF, but also in the highest body, which is the CAS. We will adhere to and respect the decision that’s taken at the highest level.”Motsepe stated
The final ruling by the Appeal Board had earlier overturned the CAF Disciplinary Committee’s decision, which initially confirmed Senegal as champions while also slapping both Senegal and Morocco with heavy sanctions over incidents during the 18 January final in Rabat.
The decision has since triggered widespread debate and reactions across the global football community.
