Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has defended the decision by the Appeals Board to overturn the result of the Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal, insisting the ruling was reached through an independent and credible judicial process.

Motsepe said the panel that handled the case was constituted through nominations from all six CAF zones—a system introduced to enhance transparency and restore confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary structures.

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He noted that CAF has, in recent years, implemented reforms aimed at strengthening governance, including appointing professional match commissioners and selecting judicial officials based on competence and integrity.

"In choosing the members of the judicial body, we followed a different path by inviting all member associations from the six zones to submit names of respected judges. It is important that our decisions are viewed with integrity, and that is why we trust the outcome,” he said.

The ruling followed a controversial final in which Morocco were awarded a late penalty, prompting Senegalese players to walk off the pitch in protest. The incident triggered disciplinary proceedings that resulted in differing outcomes at various judicial levels within CAF.

Motsepe acknowledged the situation was regrettable, stressing that one of his key priorities since taking office in March 2021 has been to rebuild trust in refereeing, disciplinary bodies, and match officiating across African football.

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He also addressed the response from the Senegalese government, which rejected the decision and called for an independent international investigation, noting that all member associations have the right to pursue further appeals.

"Every one of the 54 nations in Africa has the right to pursue their appeals, and we will respect the decision at the highest level. A critical principle is that no country on the continent will be treated preferentially,” Motsepe said.

He further explained that the differing conclusions reached by CAF’s Disciplinary Board and Appeals Board reflect the independence of the organisation’s judicial bodies, insisting that their decisions are made without interference from CAF leadership.