CAF President Patrice Motsepe urges Africans to stay confident despite AFCON controversy

Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has called on Africans to remain confident in the continent's progress despite ongoing challenges in football administration, particularly those surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco.

Speaking at a press briefing in Dakar on Wednesday following an engagement with Senegal officials, Motsepe expressed satisfaction with the strides made so far but cautioned against allowing setbacks to dampen optimism.

"I'm enormously happy because by all standards, we have made enormous progress. But what I want to discourage ordinary Africans in the continent is that there will always be problems," Motsepe said.

**"And some of those problems, like the problem we're having now with AFCON 2025 final in Morocco. And you should not excessively feel demotivated or even feel uninspired and say, 'You see what's happening in Africa.' They make progress and then they go back, and then they make progress and they go backwards. When there are problems, we must be confident and deal with them and make progress."**

Motsepe's remarks come at a particularly tense time for CAF following its surprise decision to overturn Senegal's 1-0 win over hosts Morocco in the Cup of Nations final on January 18. The ruling awarded the title to Morocco, citing Senegal's walk-off during the match as a breach of regulations.

The decision prompted a strong response from Senegal, whose government has called for an international investigation into suspected corruption within the institution. The Senegalese Football Federation has since appealed the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Motsepe is expected to visit Morocco for similar engagements as he seeks to ease tensions between the two countries. His message to Africans is clear: problems will arise, but confidence and progress must prevail.