The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has called for unity and pledged to respect the ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that awarded Morocco the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.
Motsepe made the statement during his visit to Senegal on Wednesday, 22 days after CAF’s Appeals Committee stripped the Teranga Lions of their victory in the January 18 final and declared Morocco winners by a 3–0 scoreline.
The committee argued Senegal’s players withdrew from play, despite their 1–0 win on the pitch.
The decision provoked strong reactions in Senegal. On March 18, the government issued a statement demanding an international investigation into “suspicions of corruption within the leading bodies” of CAF.
The Senegalese Football Federation also filed an appeal with CAS, insisting the ruling was unjust.
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According to CAF’s official statement, “CAF and the Senegalese football federation will provide more information on the details of the visit in due course.”
Motsepe added that his visit was driven by “a strong commitment to working closely with Senegal’s football leadership, alongside the president, the government, and the people of the nation.”
Motsepe said the dispute should now be left behind, with CAF focusing on football development across Africa, and he will take the same message to Morocco on Thursday in a diplomatic effort to ease tensions and rebuild trust.
