CAF President Patrice Motsepe has responded to the ongoing controversy surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, insisting that no country will receive special treatment.
The issue comes on the back of the dramatic final of 2025 AFCON where Senegal emerged champions with a 1-0 win after extra time. This was after they had walked off in stoppage time following a penalty awarded to Morocco in the dying embers of regulation time.
CAF’s Appeal Board later ruled that Senegal breached Articles 82 and 84 of their regulations, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and officially declaring them champions of the 2025 AFCON, a decision that has sparked widespread controversy on the continent and beyond.
Motsepe, addressing the situation, dismissed claims of bias in CAF’s decision-making.
“No single African country will be treated in a manner that is preferential or advantageous or more favourable than any other country on the African continent,” he stated.
The ruling has drawn strong reactions and backlash, with both the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) and the Senegalese government calling it unprecedented and unfair and have vowed to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
On the other hand, the Moroccan FA has welcomed the decision, maintaining that the ruling by CAF’s Appeal Board was fair, as the dispute over the 2025 AFCON title continues to unfold.
