By Our Correspondent
National News – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced major reforms aimed at restoring confidence in African football referees, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials, and judicial processes after controversies that followed the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final held in Morocco.
The decision, revealed on Sunday, comes after widespread debate over officiating decisions that overshadowed the tournament’s closing match.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe explained that the reforms were introduced following consultations with top African and international football legal experts.
According to him, the new measures are designed to ensure transparency, fairness, and credibility in officiating across all CAF competitions.
Motsepe said the governing body is reviewing its statutes and regulations to strengthen trust in referees, VAR operators, match commissioners, and disciplinary institutions.
The reforms are also intended to prevent a repeat of the incidents that sparked criticism during the AFCON final.
As part of the changes, CAF reaffirmed its commitment to appointing experienced African judges and lawyers to its Disciplinary Board and Appeal Board.
These legal professionals will be nominated by CAF’s 54 member associations and zonal unions before being approved by the CAF Executive Committee and the CAF Ordinary General Assembly.
The organisation stressed that maintaining the independence and impartiality of its judicial bodies is critical for ensuring fairness in African football governance.
Motsepe also emphasised CAF’s zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, misconduct, and improper behaviour within the sport.
CAF further disclosed that it will continue working with FIFA to improve the training and development of African referees, VAR officials, and match commissioners.
The initiative aims to ensure that African match officials perform at the same professional level as their counterparts in other leading football regions.
In addition, the CAF president noted that the organisation plans to professionalise refereeing in Africa and improve remuneration for officials to strengthen accountability and performance.
CAF confirmed that matters related to the AFCON 2025 final are currently before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Meanwhile, the football body said it remains focused on ongoing competitions such as the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, while preparing African national teams for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled to be hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Motsepe expressed optimism that African teams would perform strongly at the global tournament and make the continent proud.
