Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has welcomed Senegal’s decision to appeal the ruling that stripped them of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.
CAF overturned the final result on March 17, 2026, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory despite Senegal having won the match on the pitch. The decision has since generated widespread debate across African football.
The controversy stems from the final played on January 18 in Rabat. With the match goalless deep into stoppage time, a penalty was awarded to Morocco in the 98th minute following a VAR review — a moment that proved decisive in the events that followed.
Senegal now have 10 days to challenge the ruling and are expected to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.
Speaking on the development, Motsepe said CAF is treating the matter with utmost seriousness and has already begun reviewing areas of concern raised by the incident.
“We take what has happened at the final match in Morocco during the AFCON, the Total Energies CAF Morocco 2025, we take it very very seriously and we have already started with very important steps to make sure that those areas which have been identified as deficiencies and where there’s need for improvement that the necessary resolutions are passed.”
Motsepe also defended the integrity of CAF’s judicial process, insisting that the decision to overturn the result met the organisation’s standards.
“We have very high standards that we set for ourselves. It is important for us that ordinary football supporters and spectators in every one of the 54 countries in Africa in their judgement, not in CAF’s judgement, not in my judgement, regard the decisions of our judicial bodies as fair with integrity and impartiality and what is equally important that they regard our referees, our VR operators and our match commissioners as people who are fair and just and those decisions that are taken reflects the impartiality and independence that’s critically important.”
The appeal is expected to be a crucial step in determining the final outcome of the dispute, with Senegal seeking to overturn the forfeiture ruling and reclaim the title.
CAF’s response signals a willingness to allow the legal process to take its course, even as questions continue to be raised about the handling of one of the most controversial moments in recent African football history.
