President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has pledged to fully respect and implement the final ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the controversial Africa Cup of Nations final involving Senegal and Morocco.
Speaking in Cairo on Sunday, Motsepe emphasized that his personal views would not influence the outcome, stressing that the CAF appeals process is handled by independent legal experts.
The dispute stems from a dramatic final in Rabat, where Senegal initially secured a 1-0 victory before tensions erupted following a late penalty awarded to Morocco. The decision prompted Senegal’s players and coaching crew, led by Pape Thiaw, to walk off the pitch in protest.
Although CAF’s disciplinary committee sanctioned individuals from both sides, it did not initially change the match result. However, Morocco’s successful appeal later led to a 3-0 decision in their favour, sparking outrage from Senegal.
Senegal have since taken their case to CAS, even symbolically parading the AFCON trophy during a recent international friendly, while donning jerseys with two stars — one for their 2022 triumph and another for the disputed final.
Motsepe revealed plans to visit both nations in a bid to ease tensions and promote unity, noting that CAF is already reviewing its regulations to restore confidence in officiating, including referees and VAR systems.
In a related development, CAF announced that Samson Adamu will serve as caretaker general secretary, replacing retiring Veron Mosengo-Omba.
CAF says ongoing reforms aim to ensure that controversies like the AFCON final incident do not happen again, as African football seeks to rebuild trust and credibility.
