AFCON 2025 Refereeing Scandal: New Revelations Put CAF Under Pressure

The shockwaves from the AFCON 2025 final between Morocco and Senegal continue to shake the Confederation of African Football. The latest executive committee meeting, marked by the physical absence of leading figures such as Fouzi Lekjaa and Secretary General Véron Mosengo Omba, turned into a full-blown revolt. Unsettled by the anger of several members, President Patrice Motsepe spent four hours bogged down in the sole assessment of the Moroccan tournament, finding himself unable to address the nine other urgent items on the agenda.

Refereeing Scandal at AFCON 2025: Damning Admissions Weaken CAF

The heart of the storm lies within the referees’ committee. Its president, Congolese official Safary, made astonishing revelations before his peers, admitting that CAF’s administration had selected the tournament officials without consulting him. Even more seriously, he acknowledged giving strict instructions not to caution the Senegalese players who had left the field during the final, accepting this breach of the regulations to prevent the match from being permanently abandoned. Faced with these major failures, numerous officials firmly demanded the outright dissolution of the committee, Winwin reported.

On Bladi.net : Patrice Motsepe praises Morocco but passes the hot potato to the Court of Arbitration for Sport

In addition to the refereeing disaster, criticism targeted the governing body’s overall leadership. Members called for the secretary general’s dismissal and denounced unilateral decision-making, amid an atmosphere of distrust heightened by Samuel Eto’o’s complaints about his own suspension. Cornered, Patrice Motsepe had to bring the session to an early close. During the press conference that followed, he tried to put on a brave face by confirming that AFCON 2027 would remain in East Africa and announcing a future expansion of the tournament to 28 teams, leaving the contentious unresolved matters in the shadows.