CAF announces sweeping reforms after Afcon debacle

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced sweeping reforms to its statutes and regulations following controversy surrounding the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final which ultimately saw Senegal stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title. In a media briefing on Sunday after its executive committee meeting, CAF said it is implementing ‘far-reaching changes and improvements’ aimed at restoring trust in its refereeing structures, including match officials, VAR operators and judicial bodies. The Mail & Guardian reports that the move comes in response to incidents during the Afcon final that raised serious concerns about officiating standards and decision-making processes. ‘CAF is implementing changes and improvements to the CAF Statutes and Regulations that will strengthen the trust and confidence in CAF referees, VAR operators and judicial bodies,’ the organisation said in a statement. It added that the reforms are specifically designed to ensure that ‘the incidents that took place at the final match… do not happen again.’ It acknowledged that while refereeing performances at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations were widely praised, the events in Morocco marked a setback. CAF now aims to restore the credibility and admiration that African officiating had begun to earn on the continental and global stage. CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the changes are being guided by both African and international legal expertise to ensure alignment with global football standards.