CAF President Motsepe cites trust crisis in African Football as Senegal stripped of AFCON title
19th March 2026
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The president of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has acknowledged ongoing concerns over trust and integrity in African football following the controversial decision to strip Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.
Senegal had originally been crowned champions after a dramatic 1-0 victory over hosts Morocco in Rabat. The final, however, was marred by controversy when Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch for 14 minutes in protest over a penalty awarded to Morocco late in normal time.
Despite returning to complete the match and eventually securing victory in extra time, the outcome was later overturned. While CAF’s Disciplinary Board initially dismissed Morocco’s complaint, the Appeals Board ruled that Senegal’s walk-off constituted a breach of tournament regulations, awarding the title to Morocco instead.
In a video statement released on Wednesday, Motsepe defended the decision, saying it reflected CAF’s commitment to governance, ethics and accountability.
“I previously expressed my extreme disappointment with the incidents that took place at the final,” he said. “It undermines the good work that CAF has done over many years to ensure integrity, respect, ethics, governance, as well as the credibility of the results of our football matches.”
Motsepe admitted that African football continues to battle long-standing perceptions of mistrust, describing it as a “legacy issue” the organisation is working to overcome.
“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.
Senegal have indicated they will challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the coming days, setting the stage for a potentially protracted legal battle over one of the most contentious finals in the tournament’s history