Cairo — THE Confédération Africaine de Football is set to make sweeping changes to its statutes and regulations aimed at restoring confidence in refereeing, video assistant referees (VAR) and its judicial bodies following controversies surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe told reporters in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday that the reforms are designed to ensure that the incidents witnessed during the tournament's final "do not happen again" and to strengthen governance, transparency and integrity across African football.
The move follows a chaotic AFCON 2025 final in Morocco, where several disputed VAR calls and officiating delays led to formal protests and a lingering sense of injustice among participating nations.
Motsepe described the measures as "far-reaching," emphasising that they would enhance trust in referees, VAR operators, match commissioners, and the organisation's disciplinary and appeal structures.
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"These changes will strengthen the respect, integrity and credibility of African referees and judicial bodies," Motsepe said, adding that CAF had sought extensive legal advice from leading African and international football experts to align its rules with global best practices.
The announcement comes amid ongoing proceedings at the Court of Arbitration for Sport related to the AFCON 2025 final, placing additional scrutiny on CAF's governance and decisionmaking processes.
CAF also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining independent and impartial judicial bodies, stating that members of its disciplinary and appeal boards would continue to be selected from highly respected judges and legal professionals nominated by its 54 member associations.
In a bid to improve officiating standards, CAF said it would expand collaboration with FIFA to provide ongoing training for referees, VAR operators, and match officials. The organisation also signalled plans to professionalise refereeing in Africa and improve compensation, a move seen as critical to enhancing performance and reducing the risk of misconduct.
"It is very important to address the challenges in African football regarding the impartiality and independence of referees. African referees are as capable as their counterparts worldwide. We will continue to train our referees, pay them well, and encourage them as they advance in professionalism, both in refereeing and in the use of VAR."
The governing body contrasted the controversy in Morocco with the widely praised officiating at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, underlining its determination to regain that level of credibility.
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Motsepe further stressed CAF's "zero tolerance" approach to corruption and improper conduct, noting that recent governance improvements had already strengthened confidence among sponsors and partners.
He also reiterated CAF's commitment to treating all member associations equally, amid longstanding concerns in African football about favouritism and unequal influence.
Looking ahead, CAF said it remains focused on its ongoing competitions and on supporting African teams preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expressing confidence that they will perform strongly on the global stage.
