Following the official release of disciplinary outcomes for incidents in the Africa Cup of Nations final by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), CAF President Patrice Motsepe issued a statement today, commenting on the sanctions and refereeing-related controversies.
"I, together with the CAF Executive Committee (EXCO) representing 54 African nations and the presidents of all member associations, am fully committed to upholding and advancing the integrity, prestige and global competitiveness of African football and CAF competitions. I am extremely disappointed by the unacceptable incidents that occurred during the final of the 2025 Morocco Africa Cup of Nations. I have taken note of the decisions announced by the CAF Disciplinary Committee on 28 January 2026, and I respect and will abide by every ruling made by our judicial bodies.
I have convened a meeting of the Executive Committee, the highest decision-making body of CAF outside of the ordinary annual congress. The meeting will review various regulations, including the Disciplinary Code, to ensure that the judicial bodies have the authority to impose appropriate and deterrent sanctions for serious violations of the statutes, regulations and Disciplinary Code, as well as acts that severely damage the reputation, integrity and global competitiveness of African football.
Over the past few years, we have significantly raised the standards, integrity, independence and professionalism of African referees, Video Assistant Referees (VAR) and match officials. We are determined to invest more financial and expert technical resources to ensure their impartiality and professional skills reach the world's top level. One of my first reforms upon assuming the presidency was to secure the independence and impartiality of the Referees' Committee, whose members are nominated by the 54 member associations and consist of Africa's most senior and respected referees. It is crucial that African referees and officials are regarded as fair, professional and world-class.
I firmly believe that with the introduction of these additional reforms and comprehensive measures, African football and CAF competitions will continue to be respected and admired worldwide and firmly establish themselves among the world's elite."
