CAF President Admits One Error in AFCON 2025 Ruling After Senegal Stripped of Title
- CAF President Patrice Motsepe has admitted one procedural error in the AFCON 2025 ruling against Senegal
- Tunisian FA President’s presence on the CAF Appeals Board has raised impartiality concerns
- Senegal maintains it still considers itself Africa’s champion despite CAF stripping them of the title
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has openly acknowledged a significant oversight in the handling of the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
Senegal was stripped of the AFCON 2025 title after walking off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco, a decision that sparked widespread outrage across African football.
Source: Getty Images
Motsepe revealed that he was shocked to learn that Tunisian Football Federation President Moez Ben Tahir Nasri had participated in the CAF Appeals Board decision.
Under CAF statutes, presidents of member associations should not serve on appeals panels, as it can compromise impartiality.
According to SABC, Motsepe explained that he only discovered Nasri’s involvement after the decision had been communicated to the parties and expressed concern about the breach of proper governance.
"I didn't even know the people who were part of that decision and simply because I have to respect the process. And when they said to me, one of the people is the president of a member association, I said, guys, what the hell is this? You know, how did he get there? And they gave me all of these legal explanations which number one is a lawyer, he's been appointed."
While the CAF legal advice indicated Nasri’s participation was technically permissible at the time, the situation highlighted lessons for future adherence to procedural safeguards.
Motsepe worried about conflict of interest
Nasri, who had previously served as Vice-President of the CAF Appeals Board, now faces restrictions under CAF regulations that prohibit FA presidents from serving on such sub-committees due to conflict of interest concerns.
CAF President Motsepe stressed that although the legal technicalities were followed, the optics of the decision raised questions about fairness and neutrality, especially given Nasri’s reported closeness to Morocco.
Motsepe acknowledged that the governance lapse did not imply favouritism toward any team but emphasised the importance of maintaining independence and transparency in CAF’s judicial procedures moving forward.
Senegal remains defiant in spite of CAF verdict
Despite the controversy, Senegal has made it clear that it still considers itself Africa’s champion.
Source: Getty Images
According to Al Jazeera, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has formally lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge CAF’s ruling.
Senegal walked off the pitch during the final in Rabat on January 18, returned to score in extra time, and initially believed they had secured victory with a 1-0 scoreline on the football pitch.
Motsepe reiterated that CAF will accept whatever decision CAS delivers, stressing the need to respect the independence of judicial bodies.
The outcome of Senegal’s appeal could potentially rewrite the narrative of one of the most contentious finals in African football history.
An appeal to CAS can typically take months to schedule a hearing, then weeks or months more to announce a verdict.
CAF President sends message to Senegal
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe has sent a message to Senegal after they launched an appeal against the latest judgement by CAF at the Court of Arbitration for Sports.
He refrained from giving a personal opinion on the incident, describing it as irrelevant, but debunks the claims that he is in support of the decision.
Source: Legit.ng
