By Kwame Bediako
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has announced plans to travel to Senegal in the coming weeks as tensions simmer in the aftermath of the disputed AFCON 2025 final. In a news conference on Sunday, Motsepe called for unity across the continent, stressing that football should not be used to divide African nations but rather to bring them together..
“We support you. We are all Africans. I said the same message to Moroccans. Many Senegalese people live in Morocco; we are not going to use football to divide people. It must bring people together,” he said.
The controversy stems from CAF’s decision to overturn Senegal’s 1–0 triumph in the final and award a 3–0 victory to Morocco, a ruling that has triggered strong reactions in Senegal and beyond. The case is now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with Senegal’s football federation seeking to have the decision set aside and be recognised as champions.
Compounding the tension are events inside the stadium, where 18 Senegalese fans were arrested amid unrest and later jailed in Morocco on charges including hooliganism and damaging facilities. The jailing of supporters has deepened anger among Senegalese fans and raised concerns about the handling of fan behaviour versus fair sporting outcomes.
Motsepe’s planned visit is widely seen as a goodwill mission to calm nerves and show solidarity with the Senegalese football community while CAF awaits the final CAS ruling. He has previously stated that he will respect the court’s decision, even as the 2025 AFCON final remains one of the most contentious episodes in the competition’s modern history.
