OPINION: Motsepe in the firing line as CAF triggers AFCON uproar

The whole world appears to be laughing at us, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) might as well be rebranded as the Comedy of African Football. Stripping Senegal of their champions’ status has all the hallmarks of a farce.

CAF troubles galore

I don’t know what is more troubling, reading the CAF Appeal Board’s decision to declare Morocco the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations champions via the boardroom, or listening to CAF president Dr Patrice Motsepe attempting to distance himself from the ensuing embarrassment.

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Declaring Morocco champions, in what many legal experts argue is a misinterpretation of the regulations, is virtually unprecedented. Numerous legal minds have expressed astonishment at the ruling, suggesting that CAF’s Appeal Board may have erred in its reading of Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations.

Those provisions state that any team that leaves the pitch before the final whistle without the referee’s authorisation is deemed to have forfeited the match and is eliminated, with a 3-0 loss recorded. However, the Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal was allowed to continue, and the match was completed.

Is the referee’s say final?

Senegal players may have left the field for approximately 15 minutes, but crucially, the referee did not abandon the match. Laws 5.1 and 5.2 of the game make it clear that the referee has the final authority on such matters. That authority was exercised, and the game reached its conclusion on the pitch.

To return some two months later with such a seismic and controversial decision under the scrutiny of a global audience, is nothing short of astonishing. For a figure of Motsepe’s stature in both business and football to publicly distance himself on the basis that the Appeal Board operates independently raises serious questions about leadership and accountability.

The implications of this decision are far-reaching, and the reputation of African football may suffer lasting damage. The sport on the continent has long battled unfair stereotypes of disorganisation and poor leadership. Decisions of this nature only serve to reinforce those perceptions and this may well rank among the most embarrassing episodes in CAF’s history.

Motsepe’s strange statement

Motsepe, in a video released by CAF, emphasised that the Appeal Board comprises some of the finest legal minds available. That assertion only deepens the mystery, how could such an apparently flawed conclusion be reached? One would be hard-pressed to find widespread support for the ruling.

This episode is likely to become a defining moment of Motsepe’s tenure. As CAF president, the ultimate responsibility rests with him regardless of the structures in place. His role as the organisation’s accounting authority and figurehead means that the positive strides made under his leadership risk being overshadowed by this controversy.

The CAF Disciplinary Board had already ruled on the matter, making the prolonged delay in the appeals process even more perplexing. Whether or not external pressures influenced the outcome, decisions made in the boardroom rather than on the pitch undermine the integrity of the game across the continent.

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Should Senegal take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and succeed, the embarrassment for CAF would be magnified further. At that point, the damage to credibility may prove even harder to repair.