Confederation of African Football president, Patrice Motsepe, has defended the African football body’s controversial decision to strip Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations title.
The Lions of Teranga’s 1-0 victory over Morocco in the Rabat final in January was changed by its appeals board to a 3-0 default win for the host nation.
Motsepe said the different conclusions reached by CAF’s internal bodies reflects the independence of its judicial processes.
He said CAF had appointed judges and legal experts from across its 54 member nations to ensure integrity and neutrality in decision.
“The CAF disciplinary board took one decision. The CAF appeals board took a totally different position, and I’m told that Senegal is going to appeal which is very important,” he said.
He added that countries retain the right to challenge outcomes, including through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Senegal has called for an “independent international investigation” into what it described as “suspected corruption” at CAF following the ruling.
Motsepe says the African football body will “adhere” to and “respect” any decision taken by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“A critical factor is that not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential or more advantageous or more favourable than any other country on the African continent,” he added.
Motsepe acknowledged lingering concerns over officiating and governance, describing them as a long-standing issue on the continent.
“There’s always suspicion because it’s a legacy issue … something that has been there for many, many years,” he said.
Motsepe added that CAF’s priority was to ensure that supporters across Africa viewed its decisions as fair and credible.
“It is important for us that ordinary football supporters … regard the decisions of our judicial bodies as fair, with integrity and impartiality,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Morocco, the news was greeted with mixed emotions in Rabat “we wish this happiness had come on the day of the match; it would have been much greater,” said fan Rachid Ismaili. “However, it arrived late, and yet we still consider it a special joy, especially since it coincided with Eid al-Fitr celebrations.”
Another supporter, Imane Bensaid, echoed the sentiment: “We were waiting to win the cup on the day of the match. This news at least relieved some of our disappointment, though it is not the same as celebrating at the right time.”