The PRESIDENT of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), Patrice Motsepe, welcomed us the decision of this organization’s review board to deprive Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, gave it to Morocco.
Caf issued a decision that caused a stir on Tuesday night, revealing that Morocco is considered the champion of the Afcon, which was played in this country from December to January.
The trophy was given to Senegal at the end of the game on January 18 where they won 1-0 in extra time.
That happened after the Lions of Teranga players boycotted the game at the end of the second half because Morocco was awarded a penalty, which Brahim Diaz eventually directed at the goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy.
The disciplinary board did not change the outcome of the match when it issued its decisions on January 28 but punished both countries and some of their players for breaking some of Caf’s rules.
However, when these decisions were reviewed by another committee, they decided that Senegal boycotted the game by leaving the field, so it is like Morocco won it 3-0.
“The main thing that this final showed is the importance of having independent boards and committees, as well as their respect. We chose the members of these boards in a different way than what was used before,” said Motsepe.
“We asked all Caf member countries and all our regions to nominate trusted judges or lawyers. Our boards are made up of respected judges and lawyers in this continent, who come from different countries.
We still have a lot of work to do to change people’s minds about the credibility of our organization. The difference between the decisions issued by the disciplinary board and the case review board shows that both are completely independent.
“I was informed that Senegal will appeal the case, which is very important. All 54 countries that are members of Caf have the right to oppose the decisions through all valid channels. We will respect the decision that will be taken at the highest level.
“The most important thing is that no country on this continent will be favored over the others. We are very concerned about what happened in the finals in Morocco and we have started taking drastic measures to ensure that we correct where we need to correct.”
According to a statement issued by Senegal on Wednesday morning, the matter will be referred to the court that hears cases related to sports, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), based in Lausanne, Switzerland.