Still dealing with the fallout from a contentious , African soccer鈥檚 governing body has announced a raft of 鈥渃hanges and improvements鈥� to its statutes and regulations.
The structural, legal and administrative reforms will help the Confederation of African Football regain trust in its impartiality and ensure that the scenes from the final in January are never repeated, CAF president Patrice Motsepe said after a meeting of its executive committee in Cairo on Sunday.
鈥淚 can stand here and say we鈥檝e got the best referees, they are independent, they鈥檙e impartial. But if the ordinary football spectators on the continent and elsewhere think they are not so impartial, it鈥檚 not good for African football,鈥� Motsepe said.
The outcome of the final is still in dispute after two months after the match and awarded it to host nation Morocco. to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport and both countries claim to be African champion pending the outcome. The in Paris on Saturday.
鈥淲e have to move away also from the perception that somehow our problems in Africa and our weaknesses in Africa are greater, bigger, more embarrassing, more extreme than the problems that happen in other parts of the world,鈥� Motsepe said.
The South African businessman said CAF was working with FIFA to provide training for referees and VAR operators, and that it was imperative to pay them well to ensure integrity.
General secretary steps down
Earlier, V茅ron Mosengo-Omba announced he was stepping down after five years as CAF general secretary 鈥渢o devote myself to more personal projects.鈥�
The Swiss-Congolese official is a university friend of president Gianni Infantino and followed him from UEFA to FIFA in 2016. Mosengo-Omba left FIFA to take over as CAF general secretary in 2021.
CAF announced in January 2025 that the Swiss Public Prosecutor鈥檚 Office had decided to stop investigations against Mosengo-Omba 鈥渁s they found no facts or legal basis to initiate legal proceedings鈥� after he faced allegations of financial wrongdoing.
鈥淣ow that I have been able to dispel the suspicions that some people have gone to great lengths to cast on me, I can retire with peace of mind and without constraint, leaving the CAF more prosperous than ever,鈥� Mosengo-Omba said Sunday.
Mosengo-Omba had been a contentious figure at CAF, with British newspaper The Guardian reporting claims of a for employees even after he was cleared of alleged governance breaches by an internal probe. The 66-year-old also worked past the body鈥檚 mandatory retirement age of 63, but Motsepe denied any impropriety, saying 鈥渨e followed what the proper issue was in relation to the agreement we had with him.鈥�
Samson Adamu from the Nigerian Football Federation was taking over as acting general secretary and sat to Motsepe鈥檚 left during their press conference.
鈥淭he vice presidents will lead the process and will report to me on the identification of a permanent general secretary,鈥� Motsepe said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檝e told Samson, whether he likes it or not, I鈥檓 going to put pressure on him also to apply for the position to be permanent.鈥�
Morocco hosting WAFCON
Motsepe confirmed that the Women鈥檚 Africa Cup of Nations will go ahead in Morocco as initially planned. The tournament had been scheduled to take place in the kingdom from March 17 to April 3 but was to July 25-Aug. 16.
鈥淭here were circumstances that we had not foreseen,鈥� Motsepe said after being pressed for the reasons for the postponement. On Feb. 13, .
Preparations for 2027 Africa Cup, 28 teams
Motsepe said he will visit Kenya in May to see how preparations are going for the men鈥檚 2027 Africa Cup, which Kenya is due to co-host with Tanzania and Uganda. He dismissed suggestions the 鈥淧amoja鈥� tournament could be moved to another country.
Motsepe also announced the expansion of the Africa Cup to include 28 teams, up from 24 at the 2025 edition.
Motsepe already that the Africa Cup will be held every four years from 2028.
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