The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe, has fully endorsed the decision of the independent CAF Appeal Board to award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title to host nation Morocco following a controversial final, while welcoming Senegal’s intention to pursue an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In a statement released today, Dr Motsepe emphasised that the ruling upholds the fundamental principles of fairness, integrity, and respect for the rules that govern African football.
“The incidents that occurred during the final of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 undermined the tremendous work we have done to promote integrity, respect, ethics, governance, and the credibility of results in our competitions,” Dr Motsepe said.
The Appeal Board ruled on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, that Senegal forfeited the final after their players and technical staff briefly walked off the pitch in protest against a late penalty award in stoppage time. Consequently, the original 1-0 extra-time victory for Senegal was overturned and recorded as a 3-0 win for Morocco in line with Article 84 of the AFCON regulations.
Dr Motsepe praised the Appeal Board’s independent process, noting that it followed a formal protest lodged by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). He described the decision as necessary to protect the integrity of the competition and send a clear message that no team can disregard the rules without consequence.
“CAF remains committed to ensuring that all decisions are guided by fairness and the statutes of our organisation. We respect the right of the Senegalese Football Federation to exercise its options under the appeals process, including approaching the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” the CAF President added.
He further called on all member associations and stakeholders to work together to strengthen discipline and sportsmanship across African football, urging focus on the positive development of the game rather than division.
The dramatic final, held in Rabat on January 18, 2026, saw Senegal initially crowned champions, with the trophy presented to captain Kalidou Koulibaly. However, the subsequent events and prolonged review have now resulted in Morocco being officially declared the 2025 AFCON winners.
CAF reaffirms its commitment to transparent governance and will continue to support all efforts aimed at elevating the standard and reputation of African football on the global stage.