Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe says CAF will implement whatever decision is reached by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.
The controversy surrounding the final remains unresolved, with both nations waiting for the sports tribunal to deliver its final ruling on the case and determine the official outcome of the tournament.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Motsepe said CAF had examined the circumstances surrounding the match and had also consulted the officials involved to establish whether the competition’s rules and regulations were properly understood and applied.
However, he stressed that the continental governing body would not attempt to influence or anticipate the outcome of the legal proceedings.
“Whatever decision the Court of Arbitration for Sport makes, we will implement it,” Motsepe said.
His comments underline CAF’s position that the final decision on the dispute rests with CAS. The governing body has indicated that it will accept and enforce the tribunal’s ruling, regardless of which side ultimately benefits from the verdict.
The controversy has generated considerable discussion within African football, with different opinions emerging over which team should be recognised as the champion following the disputed final.
Motsepe acknowledged the debate and said the range of views surrounding the match demonstrated the level of interest in the case. However, he insisted that CAF must now wait for the legal process to reach its conclusion before any definitive position can be taken.
“There are reports about what happened in Morocco, and we have spoken with the referees to ensure that the laws and regulations were clear and correctly applied.”
The CAF president said the organisation’s discussions with the match officials were part of efforts to establish how the rules governing the competition were interpreted and applied during the final.
The governing body has therefore reviewed the circumstances surrounding the match while maintaining that it cannot make a final judgment before CAS has issued its ruling.
The case has become one of the most closely followed legal disputes in African football, with the status of the 2025 AFCON final at the centre of the proceedings.
“I am pleased that there are many discussions and different views regarding what happened between Senegal and Morocco, but in the end, we must wait for the final decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” he added.
Motsepe’s comments mean CAF will not prejudge the outcome of the case. Instead, the organisation will allow the judicial process to run its course before taking the necessary action in line with the tribunal’s decision.
The dispute has left Morocco and Senegal waiting for clarity over the final outcome of the tournament. The CAS verdict will ultimately determine the official resolution of the case and settle the question surrounding the final.
Motsepe also emphasised that CAF has no intention of interfering with the judicial process. The organisation’s role, he indicated, is to respect the procedures in place and implement the final ruling once it has been delivered.
For now, the two countries remain focused on the pending decision, while the wider African football community awaits the conclusion of a case that has attracted significant attention.
CAF’s position is clear: whatever ruling CAS eventually makes will be accepted and enforced by the continental governing body. Until that decision arrives, Motsepe says the organisation will refrain from reaching its own final conclusion on the controversy surrounding the Morocco-Senegal final.
