Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe has announced wide-ranging changes to CAF statutes and regulations aimed at restoring trust in referees, VAR operators, and judicial bodies across African football.
Speaking at a press conference on March 29 following recent controversies, Motsepe stated that the reforms are intended to ensure that incidents seen during the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 do not happen again.
He said CAF has already begun implementing the changes, which touch on refereeing, VAR operations, match commissioners and the disciplinary and appeal boards.
CAF Changes Statutes
Motsepe said CAF is determined to regain the respect and admiration that African referees once enjoyed, citing the widely praised performance of match officials during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.
He said the new measures will help restore confidence in match officiating across the continent.
According to the CAF President, the independence and impartiality of CAF judicial bodies remain critical.
He said CAF will continue appointing the best and most respected African judges and lawyers to the disciplinary and appeal boards.
These appointments are made by the CAF Executive Committee and the CAF Ordinary General Assembly, based on names proposed by the 54 CAF member associations and zonal unions.
Motsepe said CAF has sought extensive legal advice from leading African and international football lawyers to ensure the revised statutes and regulations align with global football best practices, both on and off the pitch.
Also Read: Kenya Selected to Host FIFA Series 2026 in Historic First
He said the changes are necessary to protect the credibility, integrity, and respect of African referees, VAR operators, and CAF judicial bodies.
CAF is also working closely with FIFA to improve the ongoing training of African referees, VAR operators, and match commissioners.
“We have taken extensive legal advice from top African and international football lawyers to ensure that our statutes and regulations adhere to global football best practice. This is important for the respect, integrity and credibility of African referees, VAR operators and our judicial bodies.”
Motsepe said the goal is to ensure African officials are as good as the best in the world.
He added that CAF must professionalise referees and VAR operators and ensure they are paid properly for their work.
Over the past five years, Motsepe said CAF has made strong progress in governance, ethics, transparency and management.
He said CAF’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption and improper behaviour has been recognised by sponsors and partners, leading to increased support for African football.
Motsepe stressed that CAF will treat every member association equally and fairly, without preference.
Also Read: CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba Resigns
He said no country or association will be favoured over another under any circumstances.
Improvement for African Football
The CAF President added that CAF will continue to review and improve football and governance standards in line with global practice to strengthen African football’s competitiveness worldwide.
He said matters related to the AFCON 2025 Morocco final are before CAF structures and processes.
However, he noted that CAF’s current focus remains on ongoing competitions, including the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
Motsepe also said CAF is working to support all African nations that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
He expressed confidence that the African teams will represent the continent with pride at the global tournament.
He said the reforms reflect CAF’s broader commitment to credibility, fairness, and excellence in African football, adding that strengthening trust in refereeing and governance is essential for the game’s future on the continent.
