CAF will fully respect CAS ruling in AFCON 2025 dispute, says Motsepe

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will “scrupulously” implement the final decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the ongoing dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2025), its president Patrice Motsepe has insisted.

Speaking at a press conference, Motsepe said CAF had carefully reviewed all aspects of the contentious case and had worked closely with its arbitration team to ensure the correct application of the governing regulations.

He stressed that the controversy surrounding CAN 2025 had inevitably provoked strong reactions, but described the intense debate as a “normal” response from passionate football supporters across the continent.

Motsepe underlined that CAF would maintain complete neutrality while the legal process runs its course and would not seek to influence the proceedings before CAS in any way.

He made clear that CAF’s role would be limited to enforcing whatever ruling is issued, stating that the organisation will apply the CAS verdict immediately once it is delivered.

According to Motsepe, this approach is designed to uphold both the letter of the law and the independence of sporting bodies involved in the case, with CAF positioning itself as a guarantor of due process rather than an active party in the judicial phase.

CAF, he said, is committed to respecting the autonomy of CAS and ensuring that the final outcome, whatever it may be, is implemented in full and without delay in relation to CAN 2025.