CAF to rewrite rules after AFCON final fallout as Motsepe targets refereeing and judicial credibility

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will revise its statutes and regulations after the contentious conclusion to January’s Africa Cup of Nations final, as it seeks to restore confidence in officiating, VAR and its internal judicial bodies.The governing body said the reforms are intended to prevent a repeat of the scenes in Rabat on January 18, when Senegal’s players left the pitch in protest at a late penalty decision awarded to Morocco.CAF president Patrice Motsepe said: “CAF has taken extensive legal advice from top African and international football lawyers and experts, to ensure that the CAF statutes and regulations adhere to and implement global football best practices, on and off the field.“This is important for the respect, integrity and credibility of African referees, VAR operators and the CAF Disciplinary Board and Appeal Board.”The final has become one of the most damaging governance episodes of Motsepe’s presidency because of how CAF’s judicial panels handled the match and its aftermath.Senegal returned to the field after the stoppage, won 1-0 after extra time and lifted the trophy, only for CAF’s Appeal Board later to rule they had forfeited due to the walk-off and to strip them of the title.That decision has been widely criticised across the continent and is being challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, creating a high-stakes test of CAF’s regulatory framework and decision-making processes.Motsepe did not set out what wording changes will be made to the statutes or how CAF intends to avoid conflicting interpretations between its disciplinary and appeals bodies in future cases.He said CAF is working with FIFA on “ongoing training” for African referees, VAR officials and match commissioners, signalling that the response will be both regulatory and operational.The overhaul was announced after a CAF executive committee meeting in Cairo, held against the backdrop of wider organisational turbulence.CAF’s secretary general, Véron Mosengo-Omba, resigned on the same day, and CAF said Samson Adamu will serve as acting secretary general until the next general assembly as the organisation searches for a permanent successor.The attempted reset comes as CAF seeks to broaden the commercial and competitive appeal of its flagship competitions.Motsepe also confirmed plans to expand AFCON from 24 teams to 28, though he did not provide a timeline or outline how the format would work with four additional participants.CAF is also planning to introduce a Nations League from 2029, alongside efforts to make the international calendar more predictable and to accelerate development in regions such as East Africa.For sponsors, broadcasters and host organisers, CAF’s ability to stabilise its governance and judicial systems will be central to protecting the value of its tournaments, particularly if the AFCON final dispute continues to generate legal, political and reputational scrutiny.