The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has announced sweeping reforms to its statutes and regulations to strengthen football governance across Africa. President Patrice Motsepe said the changes aim to prevent controversies like those in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals. The reforms draw from global best practices and input from top legal experts.
CAF announced the reforms on Sunday, March 29, to restore trust in referees, VAR operators, and judicial bodies ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
"This is important for the respect, integrity, and credibility of African referees, VAR operators, and the CAF Disciplinary Board and Appeal Board," Motsepe said.
The confederation is partnering with FIFA to deliver ongoing training for referees, VAR operators, and match commissioners. CAF will continue appointing respected judges and lawyers to its Disciplinary and Appeal Boards based on nominations from its 54 member associations and zonal unions. A zero-tolerance policy on corruption and misconduct remains in place.
The announcement follows the CAF appeal board awarding Morocco the 2025 AFCON title after Senegal forfeited the January 18 final, where they led 1-0 but refused to continue following a referee-awarded penalty.
