CAF president Patrice Motsepe pledges to respect the CAS decision on Senegal’s appeal over the stripped AFCON title, as the federation implements reforms.
CONFEDERATION of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has pledged to respect the forthcoming Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling on Senegal’s appeal against being stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title.
Motsepe told a press conference in Cairo that his personal opinion on the matter was irrelevant, stating he would implement whatever decision the sports court reached.
The appeal follows a CAF appeals body decision to overturn Senegal’s 1-0 victory over hosts Morocco in last month’s final, instead awarding Morocco a 3-0 win.
The controversial final saw many Senegalese players and staff, including head coach Pape Thiaw, walk off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded an added-time penalty.
Play resumed after the protest, with Brahim Diaz missing the spot-kick before Pape Gueye scored in extra time to secure what was initially a Senegalese victory.
A CAF disciplinary committee had initially fined figures from both teams but left the match result unchanged until Morocco’s successful appeal.
Motsepe stressed that the CAF appeal board consisted of independent judges and lawyers who made the final decision.
Senegal defiantly paraded the AFCON trophy during a World Cup warm-up match against Peru in Paris on Saturday.
The team also played in shirts featuring two stars, representing their 2022 triumph and the disputed February victory.
The CAF president announced plans to visit both Senegal and Morocco to emphasise the importance of unity in growing African football.
A CAF statement outlined that the federation is implementing changes to its statutes and regulations to strengthen trust in referees, VAR operators, and judicial bodies.
These reforms are designed to ensure the incidents that marred the final do not happen again.
Motsepe also confirmed Nigeria-born CAF official Samson Adamu would become the caretaker general secretary, replacing the retiring Veron Mosengo-Omba.
Mosengo-Omba, a former FIFA official from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has reached CAF’s mandatory retirement age of 66.
