CAF president admits African football struggling with trust issues

CAPE TOWN – African football remains plagued by trust issues and questions over its integrity, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe said on March 18 after Senegal were stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title.

However, he defended the decision of his organisation’s appeal board to award the Afcon title to Morocco after upholding their protest over the outcome of the Jan 18 final.

Senegal, who won the match in Rabat 1-0, had walked off for 14 minutes at the end of regulation time in protest against the home team being awarded a penalty – which was missed – but returned to win in extra time.

While Morocco’s initial protest had been rejected by CAF’s disciplinary board, the same governing body’s appeals board found Senegal had transgressed tournament regulations by staging a walkout and on March 17 handed Morocco the title.

“I previously expressed my extreme disappointment with the incidents that took place at the final,” Motsepe said in a video statement released on March 18.

“It undermines the good work that CAF has done over many, many years to ensure that there’s integrity, there’s respect, there's ethics, there’s governance, as well as the credibility of the results of our football matches.

“We are still dealing with suspicion and mistrust. It’s a legacy issue. When I became president, one of the major concerns was the impartiality, independence and the respect of referees and match commissioners, and a lot of good work has been done.”

Motsepe highlighted that both the CAF’s disciplinary and appeals boards were independent entities made up of legal practitioners chosen with the help of member associations.

“It is important that the decisions of our disciplinary board and appeals board are viewed with respect and integrity,” he insisted.

“If you look at the composition of those bodies, they reflect some of the most respected lawyers and judges on the continent. But we will still have to deal with this perception and concerns about the integrity. It’s an ongoing issue.”

Motsepe, who was chosen as CAF president in 2021 and re-elected in 2025, said CAF was always committed to fair play and denied there was any preferential treatment amid perceptions that Morocco have too much sway over the African game.

“I’m told that Senegal is going to appeal, which is very important,” the South African billionaire mining magnate added.

“Every one of the 54 nations in Africa have a right to pursue appeals and we will adhere and respect the decision that’s taken at the highest level.

“A critical factor is that not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential, or more advantageous, or more favourable than any other country on the African continent.”

This latest controversy will come as a major blow to the continent’s hopes of elevating the status of its flagship competition, with Senegal’s appeal certain to drag out the storm.

“We need to get back to some common sense. And what’s going to come of all this? What will people say about African football now? That it’s not serious, that it’s not rigorous. It saddens me, especially since it’s improving,” Alain Giresse, who coached four African national teams including Senegal, told the French daily L’Equipe on March 18.

Others agreed, with former France international Samir Nasri saying: “This is ridiculous. The Senegalese went home with the Cup, celebrated and partied. Frankly, this discredits the CAF once again.”

Former CAF vice-president Kwesi Nyantakyi added: “Serious credibility issues will be raised when football officialdom in Africa can operate like a kangaroo court where obscure, inexplicable, and controversial decisions can replace fair and transparent decisions taken in broad daylight by referees.”

The Moroccan federation, however, argued that the strict application of the rules would help African football.

“This decision helps clarify the framework applicable to similar situations and strengthens the consistency and credibility of international competitions, particularly African football,” it said in a statement. REUTERS, AFP