Patrice Motsepe: "New amendments to avoid a repeat of the 2025 final, the CAS will have the final say"

The president of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has unveiled a series of new decisions and directions concerning the future of African football, during a press conference that addressed several major issues, foremost among them the fallout from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.

Motsepe confirmed that CAF's executive committee has approved amendments to its statutes, aimed at preventing a recurrence of what happened in the final of the last edition, stressing that the new rules will enhance the clarity of procedures and ensure the integrity of the competition. He also clarified that the final decision in this matter now rests with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, affirming CAF's commitment to respect any ruling it issues.

In a related context, the CAF president acknowledged the existence of certain shortcomings in refereeing across the continent, noting that African football has suffered in the past from the bias of some referees. This is an issue the body is working to address through a partnership with the International Federation of Association Football, aimed at training referees, improving their skills and strengthening professionalism in this field.

On the level of organising events, Motsepe praised the role Morocco plays in hosting continental tournaments, highlighting its constant readiness to organise the biggest competitions. He also confirmed that the Kingdom will host the finals of the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, while retaining the organisation of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on its scheduled dates.

Concluding his remarks, the CAF president revealed a project to launch an "African Nations League", which will adopt a geographical grouping system, with each edition spanning two years, in a move aimed at developing continental competition and raising the level of African national teams.