CAF announces reforms after chaotic AFCON final

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a raft of reforms aimed at restoring credibility and confidence in African football governance following the chaos surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final — a controversy that continues to reverberate across the continent and beyond.

CAF’s executive committee, meeting in Cairo late last week, outlined a series of changes to its statutes and regulations designed specifically to improve officiating standards, video assistant referee (VAR) protocols and the independence of its judicial bodies. The reforms are part of an effort to prevent a repeat of the controversies that overwhelmed the final — where a 1‑0 on‑field victory for Senegal was subsequently nullified and the title controversially awarded to Morocco.

“The integrity of our competitions depends on trust,” CAF president Patrice Motsepe said at a press briefing. “We need to enhance transparency in how we govern, how we appoint officials and how we communicate decisions to fans and federations alike.”

The AFCON final, played in Rabat in January, quickly became one of the most contentious championship matches in the history of the tournament. Senegalese players briefly walked off the pitch in protest against a contentious penalty decision — a move that was widely criticised as unsportsmanlike but which the team later contested as a reaction to poor officiating. The match eventually concluded, and Senegal won in extra time on the scoreboard.

However, weeks later CAF’s appeal board retroactively applied competition rules to rule that Senegal had “forfeited” the match by leaving the field, turning the scoreline into a 3–0 victory for Morocco. That ruling sparked outrage among Senegal’s players, officials and political leaders, who have since lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that the decision was unjust and lacked sufficient sporting rationale.

Senegal’s football federation and government have condemned the handling of the matter, with officials branding the ruling an “unjust administrative robbery” and calling for greater accountability from CAF. The appeal at CAS is ongoing, and Motsepe has pledged that CAF will “respect and implement” the court’s eventual decision.

CAF’s reforms extend beyond refereeing and VAR operations. Officials say they will also focus on strengthening the independence and efficiency of disciplinary and appeals panels to ensure fairer adjudication processes. Motsepe emphasised that fostering trust among CAF’s 54 member associations and the global football community is central to the overhaul.

In addition, CAF has committed to closer collaboration with FIFA on referee training and the standardisation of officiating practices, which officials hope will align African competitions more closely with global benchmarks. Experts advising the reforms include sports law specialists from across Africa and internationally.

The discord has not been limited to Africa. The sporting fallout has spilled into international fixtures, with Senegal proudly displaying the AFCON trophy at a recent friendly in Paris — an act widely interpreted as defiance against CAF’s ruling

In response to the broader unrest, CAF has also signalled long‑term structural changes — including proposals to expand the AFCON from 24 to 28 teams in future editions — as part of efforts to grow the sport and dilute concentrated power within the organisation.