Ex-NFF Boss Amaju Pinnick Reacts as CAF Strips Senegal of AFCON 2025 Title
- Former NFF President Amaju Pinnick has spoken after CAF stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title
- CAF announced the controversial decision after Morocco appealed the initial verdict on the incidents at the AFCON 2025 final
- The Senegalese Football Federation has rejected the new decision and headed for the Court of Arbitration for Sports
Former NFF President Amaju Pinnick has spoken about CAF’s decision to strip the Teranga Lions of Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.
CAF sanctioned Senegal and Morocco for the incident during the AFCON 2025 final on January 18, 2026, but the FRMF appealed the decision.
Source: Getty Images
The CAF Appeal Board overruled the initial judgment and stripped Senegal of the title, awarding Morocco a 3-0 walkover victory and the title.
The incident attracted massive criticism from the African football community, much of which was directed at CAF President Patrice Motsepe.
Pinnick defends CAF and Motsepe
Former NFF boss Pinnick, during an interview with Arise TV, has launched a passionate defence of CAF and its leadership under Patrice Motsepe.
Pinnick admitted that the reactions have been negative because people were surprised and didn't understand the work CAF is doing for African football.
“It came as a surprise to a lot of people, and I just feel that the optics have not been very good since the verdict came out,” he said as seen in a video shared on X.
“I'm not going to speak on the legality or the technicality of the game, I just feel very bad that the leadership of CAF is being questioned, knowing fully well that the leadership is well and truly committed to building football in Africa beyond the comprehension of anybody.
“I can say this… when I hear about the Appeal Board, the Disciplinary Board taking decisions or otherwise, it should be clear to everyone that both boards were elected on the floor of the Congress, the highest decision-making of CAF, they were elected and all independent.
He confirmed that the members of the two boards were elected after a thorough scrutiny of their eligibility and integrity, and not selected by Motsepe, who he described as someone who prioritises independence, nor the Executive Council.
Source: Getty Images
“We have a president, Patrice Motsepe, who does not believe in what I'll call military democracy or independent military democracy, so to speak. He believes in the independence of the commission and that they should be allowed to do their job. He doesn't want to interfere because if they fail, they won't be re-elected,” he added.
He further praised Motsepe for increasing AFCON prize money and pushing CAF towards profitability, and claimed that he is very disappointed with the recent outrage.
Motsepe reacts to CAF ruling
Legit.ng previously reported that President Patrice Motsepe reacted after CAF stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title following Morocco’s appeal.
The South African billionaire explains CAF’s organisational structure as being independent, with each board allowed to act in their own judgment.
Source: Legit.ng
