The president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), Patrice Motsepe, has been accused of allowing Morocco to “dictate its law” after Senegal were stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title. Senegal’s football federation says it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, while the government suspects corruption within Caf.
Augustin Senghor, the Senegal federation president and a Caf executive committee member, described the ruling as a “dangerous precedent” and expects the court to overturn the decision to award Morocco, the tournament hosts, a 3-0 win in the final. The appeal was based on Senegal players leaving the pitch for 15 minutes to protest against a penalty awarded after a goal was disallowed.
Senghor posted on X that the appeals committee had “dared to substitute themselves for the referee” in violation of the laws of the game. In a private text message to Motsepe, he alleged the ruling was taken during “a secret meeting in Cairo” and questioned why a powerful or rich country could dictate its law “against all odds and despite the clear rules of our organisation”.
Motsepe responded that Senegal have a right to appeal and that Caf will respect the highest-level decision. He defended the appeal board as independent and composed of respected lawyers, but acknowledged that “suspicion and distrust” of referees is a legacy issue.
Senegal’s government expressed “profound dismay” and said the decision directly contradicts sporting ethics. It called for an independent international investigation into suspected corruption within Caf’s governing bodies, while reiterating that “Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt at dispossession”.
Morocco’s football federation said it sought to ensure tournament rules were respected, adding that Caf had acknowledged the rules had not been followed. Senegal won the original final 1-0 in January, with Brahim Díaz’s penalty saved during the match.
