President of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, has pledged that the body will respect and implement the final decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.
Motsepe gave the assurance on Wednesday during a visit to Senegal, 22 days after CAF’s Appeal Committee awarded the title to Morocco in a controversial ruling.
On March 17, CAF’s Appeals Committee declared Morocco winners of the January 18 final by a 3-0 scoreline, despite losing 1-0 on the pitch, citing the withdrawal of Senegal’s players during the match.
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The decision triggered strong reactions in Senegal, with the government calling for an international investigation into “suspicions of corruption within the leading bodies” of CAF.
The Senegalese Football Federation subsequently filed an appeal at CAS, escalating the dispute.
Motsepe said the issues arising from the final are now before CAS and stressed that CAF will abide by whatever ruling is delivered.
He said his visit was part of efforts to engage Senegal’s football leadership, as well as the president, government, and people, amid the ongoing dispute.
The CAF president added that the focus going forward is on unity and the development of football across member nations, noting that the controversy should not derail progress on the continent.
Motsepe is expected to continue the diplomatic effort with a visit to Morocco, as CAF seeks to ease tensions surrounding the AFCON title decision.
