️ Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has stated that he will “respect” the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding Senegal’s appeal against being stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title. Speaking to reporters in Cairo on Sunday, Motsepe emphasized, “I will respect and implement the CAS decision. My personal opinion regarding the matter is irrelevant.” The appeal follows a controversial overturn by CAF’s appeals body of Senegal’s 1-0 victory over hosts Morocco in last month’s AFCON final.
️ The match was marred by dramatic scenes when many Senegalese players, head coach Pape Thiaw, and staff walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco was awarded an added-time penalty. Upon their return, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the penalty, and Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored in extra time to secure the win. A CAF disciplinary committee later imposed fines on figures from both teams but left the result unchanged. Morocco then appealed, leading to a 3-0 victory being awarded to them. Motsepe stressed that the appeal board comprises independent judges and lawyers, underscoring the procedural aspects of the decision.
️ Motsepe announced plans to visit Senegal and Morocco to emphasize the importance of “working together to grow African football” and revealed that CAF is implementing changes to its statutes and regulations. These measures purportedly aim to strengthen trust in referees, VAR operators, and judicial bodies, and to prevent a recurrence of the farcical incidents witnessed during the final. However, Motsepe did not provide concrete details on the specific changes, leaving room for skepticism about their effectiveness in addressing deep-seated issues within African football governance.
️ In a related development, Motsepe announced that Nigeria-born CAF official Samson Adamu will become the caretaker general secretary, replacing Veron Mosengo-Omba, who is retiring. Mosengo-Omba, a former FIFA official from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reached CAF’s mandatory retirement age of 66 and resigned amid repeated calls for his removal during a turbulent period for the sport on the continent. Recent criticism had swelled over his tenure extending past the organization’s retirement age of 63, with allegations from some employees of a toxic workplace atmosphere, though an investigation cleared him of wrongdoing.
️ Mosengo-Omba stated in a release that he is retiring after over 30 years in international football, leaving CAF “more prosperous than ever.” However, Motsepe contradicted this, claiming that Mosengo-Omba informed him of being asked by the DR Congo president to assist with football development there. This discrepancy highlights ongoing internal disputes and instability within CAF’s leadership, raising questions about transparency and cohesion in the organization’s management as it navigates post-AFCON controversies and structural reforms.
Source: www.aljazeera.com