A high-ranking CAF official has revealed that the judicial bodies’ independence and nonalignment to CAF president Patrice Motsepe, the executive committee or even the board, has become a threat to the stability of CAF, and with the powers vested in them, they are now developing into a parallel structure in the running of the association.
Motsepe’s efforts to unify the continent’s football mother body and to bring democracy and corporate governance, have come back to haunt him.
With the events of this past week, there is a greater threat of the two judicial bodies hugely undermining the CAF executive and the president and taking decisions unilaterally.
Motsepe spearheaded the establishment of the independent disciplinary committee and the appeals board two years ago to instil independence in CAF’s judicial structures.
This past week, the appeal board reversed an initial outcome of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament final, endorsed by the DC board, which saw Senegal crowned champions after defeating Morocco 1-0 in the final after a chaotic match in the Moroccan capital, Rabat on January 18.
CAF confirmed that Senegal forfeited the game after staging a 17-minute walkout in protest against the awarding of a contentious penalty to Morocco. The appeal board recorded the score as 3–0 in favour of Morocco. There has been a huge outcry throughout the world.
According to the official, the independent judicial bodies were used by Morocco to sabotage and embarrass the confederation. Morocco, a country with state-of-the-art facilities to host major tournaments, has never been a fan of Motsepe and the rise of sub-Saharan Africa’s federations and officials in CAF.
Some of the appeal board’s members, like Djibouti’s Mohamed Djama, have distanced themselves from the decision.
Motsepe is also seen as a capable candidate to challenge Fifa president Gianni Infantino for Fifa presidency, and with European federations not being fans of the incumbent, it is a spot of bother for the Moroccans.
The CAF president is also a victim of a historical, political rivalry. South Africa eclipsed Morocco to host the first Fifa World Cup on African soil for the first time in 2010. The two nations have also differed sharply on Western Sahara, a desert territory disputed between Morocco, which occupies 80% of it, and the Polisario Front.
The Moroccans welcomed the CAF appeal board decision, while Senegal has referred the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
