‎By Teddy Nwanunobi

Following the controversy that overshadowed the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final in Morocco, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has introduced new regulations to guide the tournament in the future.

This was even as CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, has admitted that officiating deficiencies and match management contributed to the chaotic ending of the tournament in Rabat.

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‎The final saw Senegal initially declared champions after a 1–0 extra-time win over Morocco. However, the result was later overturned by a CAF appeal board, with the title awarded to Morocco, following disciplinary rulings tied to Senegal’s protest walk-off after a late VAR penalty decision.

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‎The match also drew widespread criticism due to security clashes inside the stadium and accusations of unsportsmanlike behaviour, including incidents dubbed ‘towelgate,’ where Senegal’s goalkeeper was reportedly interfered with by ball boys and opposing personnel.

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‎Speaking to BBC Sport Africa on Wednesday, Motsepe said CAF had carried out an internal review of the incidents.

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‎“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.

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‎“But there are still these challenges, and we’ve recognised what the deficiencies were that led to the unfortunate incidents we had in Morocco.

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‎“We’ve introduced new laws, new regulations which will ensure that doesn’t happen again,” he said.

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‎Motsepe added that CAF is still working to strengthen officiating standards and VAR consistency across the continent.

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‎“We are continuing to improve the system, because African football must be judged by the highest standards of fairness and integrity,” he said.

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