President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has issued a strong assurance of neutrality, insisting that no country on the continent will receive special treatment under CAF’s leadership.
His remarks come in the wake of the explosive decision by CAF’s Appeals Board to strip Senegal national football team of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award the final to Morocco national football team.
“No single African country will be treated in a manner that is preferential, advantageous, or more favourable than any other,” Motsepe declared, addressing growing concerns over fairness within the governing body.
The controversy erupted following CAF’s March 17 ruling, which upheld Morocco’s protest and awarded the Atlas Lions a 3-0 victory in the final. The decision effectively overturned Senegal’s on-field triumph from January, sparking outrage across the West African nation.
Authorities in Dakar have reacted strongly, with the Senegalese government describing the ruling as “unprecedented and exceptionally serious” while calling for an independent international investigation into alleged corruption within CAF. The country’s football federation has also condemned the decision as “iniquitous, unprecedented and unacceptable,” confirming plans to challenge the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Motsepe’s statement appears aimed at countering suggestions that Morocco’s influence may have played a role in the outcome. The North African nation is widely regarded as one of the most powerful football forces on the continent, further fuelling the debate surrounding CAF’s decision.
The dispute traces back to the dramatic AFCON final in Rabat on January 18, where Senegal players staged a 17-minute walk-off during stoppage time in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco after VAR review. Although play eventually resumed and Morocco’s Brahim Díaz missed the spot kick, Senegal went on to score the decisive goal in extra time.
However, CAF’s Appeals Board later ruled that the walk-off constituted a breach of tournament regulations, effectively deeming it a forfeiture and awarding victory to Morocco.
Despite the setback, Senegal remain defiant. Federation Secretary General Abdoulaye Seydou Sow has vowed the battle is far from over, insisting the nation will pursue justice and defend its title “to the very end.”
