Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has said he will “respect” the ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over Senegal’s appeal against being stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.
“I will respect and implement the CAS decision. My personal opinion regarding the matter is irrelevant,” Motsepe told reporters in Cairo on Sunday.
The appeal by Senegal follows CAF’s decision to overturn their 1-0 victory over Morocco in last month’s AFCON final.
The match descended into controversy when Senegal players, led by head coach Pape Thiaw, walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty. Although they later returned and Morocco’s Brahim Díaz missed the spot-kick, Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored in extra time to secure what initially appeared to be the winning goal.
While a CAF disciplinary committee fined individuals from both teams, it did not alter the result.
However, following Morocco’s appeal, the CAF appeals board comprising independent judges and lawyers awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory.
Despite the dispute, Senegal paraded the AFCON trophy during a 2026 World Cup warm-up match in Paris and wore jerseys bearing two stars one for their 2022 triumph and another for the contested 2026 final.
Motsepe also revealed plans to visit both Senegal and Morocco to promote unity and emphasized CAF’s intention to revise its statutes and regulations to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
He said the reforms would strengthen confidence in referees, VAR officials, and judicial bodies, although no specific measures were outlined.
In a separate development, Motsepe announced that Nigeria-born CAF official Samson Adamu will serve as caretaker general secretary, replacing outgoing Veron Mosengo-Omba.
Mosengo-Omba, a former FIFA official, stepped down after reaching CAF’s mandatory retirement age of 66 amid growing criticism over his continued tenure. In a statement, he said he was leaving after more than 30 years in international football to focus on personal projects.
Motsepe, however, indicated that Mosengo-Omba may take on a new role supporting football development in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the request of the country’s president.
