Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe has appealed to Africans to remain optimistic about the continent’s football trajectory, even as governance disputes continue to cast shadows over the game, most notably the fallout from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco.
Addressing the media in Dakar on Wednesday after holding discussions with Senegalese officials, Motsepe struck a measured tone, acknowledging both the undeniable progress made under CAF’s stewardship and the inevitable hurdles that come with it.
He stressed that temporary setbacks should not erode belief in African football’s long-term growth.
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“I’m enormously happy because, by all standards, we have made enormous progress. But what I want to discourage ordinary Africans on the continent is that there will always be problems,” Motsepe said.
“And some of those problems, like the problem we’re having now with AFCON 2025 final in Morocco. And you should not excessively feel demotivated or even feel uninspired and say, ‘You see what’s happening in Africa.’ They make progress and then they go back, and then they make progress and they go backwards. When there are problems, we must be confident and deal with them and make progress.”
His remarks come against the backdrop of a stormy episode that has unsettled African football. CAF’s decision to nullify Senegal’s 1-0 victory over hosts Morocco in the AFCON final on January 18, and subsequently award the title to Morocco, has ignited widespread debate. The ruling cited Senegal’s walk-off during the match as a violation of competition rules.
The verdict has not gone unchallenged. Senegalese authorities have reacted strongly, with the government calling for an independent international probe into alleged corruption within CAF structures.
Meanwhile, the Senegal Football Federation has escalated the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking to overturn the decision.
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Motsepe is expected to travel to Morocco as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at cooling tensions and restoring trust between the parties involved. Through it all, his central message remains consistent: adversity is part of progress, and Africa must confront its challenges with unity and resolve rather than doubt.
