RABAT, Morocco – The Confederation of African Football introduced new officiating and match management regulations on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, following controversies during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
Okay News reports that the President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, confirmed the internal review and subsequent rule changes during an interview with BBC Sport Africa.
The final match, held in Rabat, Morocco, initially saw Senegal declared champions after a 1–0 extra-time victory over the host nation before an appeal board awarded the title to Morocco. The ruling followed disciplinary actions related to a protest walk-off by the Senegal team over a late Video Assistant Referee penalty decision, as well as security clashes and accusations that opposing personnel interfered with the goalkeeper for Senegal.
“We’ve done good work in terms of building the confidence and the trust amongst the football community of our referees and of our VAR. But there are still these challenges, and we’ve recognised what the deficiencies were that led to the unfortunate incidents we had in Morocco. We’ve introduced new laws, new regulations which will ensure that doesn’t happen again,” Motsepe said.
Former footballer Nigel Reo-Coker stated the situation damaged the credibility of the organization. “It gives other federations around the world an opportunity to laugh at CAF, to laugh at the Africa Cup of Nations, and laugh at Africa as a continent because of how this whole situation has been handled,” he said.
The Senegal Football Federation referred the decision to strip them of the title to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where a final ruling is pending. “We are waiting for the judgment of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and African football is continuing to grow and develop,” Motsepe said. “Whatever decision comes, we will respect and implement.”
The newly introduced measures are aimed at improving Video Assistant Referee governance, strengthening security coordination, and ensuring clearer disciplinary procedures.
