How Senegal Lost AFCON 2025 Off the Pitch — Motsepe Not Involved
As Senegal continue to come to terms with the shock of losing the AFCON 2025 title outside the field of play, clearer information has now emerged about who was truly responsible for the decision.
Importantly, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, did not take part in the ruling. The decision was made by a six-member CAF Appeal Board, acting independently.
The board was led by Justice Roli Daibo from Nigeria, who served as Chairman. He was assisted by Faustino Varela of Cape Verde as Vice Chairman. Other members included Moez Ben Tahar (Tunisia), Moses Ikanga (Namibia), Hamoud Bowbe (Mauritania), and Mohamed Djama (Djibouti).
After reviewing the case, the Appeal Board ruled in favor of Morocco, resulting in the AFCON 2025 trophy being taken away from Senegal.
Since the decision, emotions have remained high. Many Senegalese fans now see Nigeria as a major rival, believing the country played a key role in the outcome due to the nationality of the board chairman. This perception has further fueled tension and debate across African football.
The controversy has once again sparked serious discussions about fairness, transparency, and confidence in CAF’s decision-making process.