CAF President pledges to respect Senegal's AFCON appeal amid integrity concerns

The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, assured the football community that CAF will respect the outcome of Senegal’s appeal over the decision to strip the country of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.

The Senegalese Football Federation announced on Wednesday that it intends to take its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), following CAF's ruling that Senegal forfeited the match after leaving the field in protest over a disputed penalty deep in stoppage time. 

Motsepe said CAF has already taken steps to address the fallout from the final, but stressed that every nation has the right to appeal and defend its interests at the highest level.

“And we will adhere (to) and respect the decision that's taken at the highest level. A critical factor is that no country in Africa will be treated more preferentially or advantageously than any other,” Motsepe said in a video statement.

His remarks come amid accusations from the Senegalese government, which has called for an investigation into CAF, alleging corruption and bias in its handling of the final.

Motsepe acknowledged that CAF and African football have struggled with issues around integrity and independence, but highlighted progress made under his leadership to reshape the organization’s and the sport's image and systems, including seeking respected lawyers and judges to sit on its judicial bodies.

“The occurrences, those incidences, at the final of the AFCON Morocco exposes the work we are still dealing with concerning the suspicion and distrust. It is a legacy issue,” he said. “When I became president, one of the main concerns was the impartiality, the independence and the respect of referees and match commissioners, and a lot of good, good work has been done.”

He noted the differing rulings within CAF’s own system: “Partly, the independence is reflected by the decisions taken by the two bodies. The CAF Disciplinary Board took one decision; the CAF Appeals Board took a totally different position.”

Motsepe added that it is essential for CAF that fans and spectators across the continent view the decisions of its judicial bodies as fair, transparent and impartial.