Motsepe says CAF introduces new rules after AFCON 2025 final chaos

Speaking to BBC Sport Africa, Motsepe said CAF had made progress in building confidence and trust in referees and VAR within the football community.

However, he acknowledged that “there are still challenges and deficiencies” that led to the incidents during the AFCON final in Morocco, adding that CAF has “introduced new laws and new regulations, which will ensure that doesn’t happen again.”

Motsepe’s comments shed light on how the disorder surrounding the Morocco-Senegal final pushed both CAF and FIFA to strengthen match-control rules and tighten disciplinary measures aimed at preventing protests and disruptions during major tournaments.

In April, the International Football Association Board unanimously approved FIFA-proposed amendments concerning players leaving the field in protest over refereeing decisions. The changes are scheduled to take effect at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Under the new regulation, “at the discretion of the competition organizer, the referee may sanction with a red card any player who leaves the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision.”

FIFA also clarified that the rule applies to any team official who incites players to leave the pitch.

Additionally, “a team that causes a match to be abandoned will, in principle, lose the match by forfeit.”

Argentine outlet Diario Olé reported that the events of the AFCON 2025 final “continue to influence world football.”

The outlet added that the new measures are intended to ensure that “sanity and institutional discipline prevail over anger, emotion, and heated reactions.”

It further noted that if the rule had been in force during the Morocco-Senegal final, “all the Senegalese players except Mané should have been sent off,” meaning Senegal would have been disqualified for being unable to continue the match.

In March, Motsepe announced that CAF would amend its statutes and regulations to prevent a repeat of the scenes witnessed during January’s AFCON final.

He said CAF had launched technical and legal reforms, including updated criteria for selecting referees and VAR officials to improve the accuracy and consistency of decision-making.

The CAF president added that the reforms include reviewing how match officials are appointed, expanding cooperation with FIFA on referee training programs, and further professionalizing refereeing through improved compensation aimed at strengthening integrity.

Motsepe also said the reforms extend to CAF’s judicial bodies, with leading African judges and lawyers appointed to disciplinary and appeals committees to reinforce their independence.

He added that CAF had brought in international legal experts to ensure the new regulations align with global best practices.

“The reforms aim to protect the credibility of African football and ensure fair treatment for all member associations without bias,” Motsepe said.