Rabat: President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe stated on Wednesday that no African country will be treated in a manner that is “more preferential, more advantageous, or more favorable.” Reacting to the decision by the CAF Appeal Board regarding the Africa Cup of Nations (2025 AFCON) final, which declared the Senegal national team to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as a 3-0 victory for Morocco, Motsepe emphasized that the incidents that marred the final “undermine the good work that CAF has done over many years to ensure the integrity, respect, ethics, good governance, and credibility of football match results.”

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, in a video posted on the official CAF website, Motsepe stated: “When I became president, one of the major concerns was the impartiality, independence, and respect for referees, as well as match commissioners, and good work has been done” in this regard. Referring to the decision of the CAF Appeal Board, Motsep
e noted that the independence of the continental body is reflected in the decisions made by its two bodies-the Disciplinary Board and the Appeal Board-regarding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.

“While the CAF Disciplinary Board issued a ruling, the Appeal Board took a completely different stance,” he pointed out. “In selecting the members of our judicial bodies, we have adopted a different approach, distinct from the one that prevailed previously,” he continued, noting that CAF invited each member association as well as each of the six regional zones to propose the names of recognized judges and respected lawyers.

According to him, “it is essential that the decisions of the CAF Disciplinary Board, as well as those of the Appeal Board, be viewed with the respect and integrity that are fundamental to us.” “If you examine the composition of these bodies, you will find that they include some of the most respected legal experts and judges on the continent,” the CAF president note
d.

“We hold ourselves to very high standards,” he said, adding that “it is important for us that ordinary football supporters and spectators in each of the 54 African countries, in their judgement-not that of CAF or mine-consider the decisions of our judicial bodies to be fair, integral, and impartial.” Reiterating that CAF takes “very seriously what happened during the final played in Morocco,” Motsepe concluded: “We have already taken significant steps to ensure that the areas identified as having shortcomings and requiring improvements undergo the necessary reforms.”