Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reaffirmed its commitment to respect the final ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding the controversial awarding of the 2025 AFCON title. Initially, Senegal national football team won 1–0 in the final against Morocco national football team in a chaotic match, but their title was later stripped by CAF’s appeals jury on March 17 and awarded to the Atlas Lions. The decision, based on disciplinary incidents under Articles 82 and 84 of the regulations, was immediately challenged by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), which referred the case to CAS in Lausanne on March 25.
Speaking at a press conference in Cairo on Sunday, March 29, CAF president Patrice Motsepe sought to ease tensions. “I will respect and implement the CAS decision. My personal opinion does not matter,” he stated, emphasizing the principles of impartiality and equality among Africa’s 54 nations. Motsepe also mentioned ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening trust in refereeing, VAR, and judicial bodies, promising that the incidents seen in the final would not happen again.
CAS, the highest authority for resolving sports disputes, will examine this disciplinary case through specialized arbitrators. A decision is expected in the coming days, leaving uncertainty over the identity of the 2025 African champion. In the meantime, CAF continues its normal activities without further comment on the case, stressing its respect for judicial procedures.
This saga pits two African football heavyweights against each other: Senegal, the two-time defending champion, and Morocco, host of the tournament. Beyond the title, it highlights governance and refereeing challenges within CAF, with sanctions already imposed on both teams. The CAS verdict could reshape the history of AFCON 2025 and strengthen future regulations.