CAF: amendments implemented to statutes and regulations "to strengthen trust and confidence"

The Confédération Africaine de Football is implementing "changes and improvements to the CAF statutes and regulations that will strengthen the trust and confidence in the CAF referees, VAR operators and judicial bodies," it announced on 29/03/2026. These reforms are also meant to ensure "that the incidences that took place at the final match of the TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 do not happen again."

The body is reacting to the various controversies surrounding refereeing and the use of video assistance that marred the last Africa Cup of Nations, culminating in the final of the competition won by Senegal against Morocco (1-0 after extra time). Finding several refereeing decisions particularly unfair, the Senegalese players left the pitch, before returning to resume play after an 18-minute interruption and ultimately winning the match.

Initially sentenced by the CAF discipline board on 28/01/2026 to only fines and match suspensions (for its head coach and two of its players), the Senegalese Football Federation saw its sanction increased after the appeal board declared its national team to…