Patrice Motsepe, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), confirmed that the organization will fully respect the forthcoming ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding the controversial stripping of Senegal’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.
This comes after the CAF Appeal Board’s shocking decision on March 17, 2026, to annul Senegal’s 1-0 victory over Morocco in the final of the tournament held earlier that year. The ruling followed the contentious walk-off by Senegalese players during the match, which was caused by a late penalty awarded to Morocco. Though the game resumed and Senegal eventually won in extra time, CAF deemed the walk-off as a violation of the tournament’s regulations, particularly Articles 82 and 84, leading to a 3-0 forfeit in favor of Morocco.
This comes after the CAF Appeal Board’s shocking decision on March 17, 2026, to annul Senegal’s 1-0 victory over Morocco in the final of the tournament held earlier that year. The ruling followed the contentious walk-off by Senegalese players during the match, which was caused by a late penalty awarded to Morocco. Though the game resumed and Senegal eventually won in extra time, CAF deemed the walk-off as a violation of the tournament’s regulations, particularly Articles 82 and 84, leading to a 3-0 forfeit in favor of Morocco.
Motsepe acknowledged the right of any nation to appeal such a decision, and in a video released by CAF, he emphasized that all 54 African nations have the right to seek justice at the highest global level of sports arbitration. “I’m told that Senegal is going to appeal, which is very important,” Motsepe said. “Every one of the 54 nations in Africa has a right to pursue their appeals and advance their interests, not only at the highest level in Africa, in CAF, but also at the highest body, which is CAF. We will adhere to and respect the decision that is taken at the highest level.”
The decision to strip Senegal of their AFCON 2025 victory has sparked widespread outrage across Africa, particularly in Senegal, where government officials have condemned the ruling as “grossly illegal.” Senegal’s leadership is calling for an independent international investigation into potential corruption within CAF’s decision-making process.
Source: metrotvonline.com
