South African Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), responded to Senegal's accusations of corruption after they were stripped of their continental title two months after the controversial final against Morocco.
The Confederation of African Football's appeals committee decided last Tuesday to award the victory in the final match to the Moroccan national team, the tournament's host, after the Senegalese team left the field in protest against a penalty kick.
The Senegalese later returned and completed the match and won in extra time, but this victory was officially cancelled.
Senegal reacted angrily, saying it would appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the Dakar government even intervened, accusing the Confederation of African Football of "corruption".
Motsepe issued a statement via video on Thursday evening denying any wrongdoing on the part of CAF, noting that senior judges and lawyers from Africa were included in the appeals committee.
He said, "No country in Africa will be treated preferentially or receive more advantages or privileges than others on the African continent."
Motsepe said of Senegal's plan to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, "We will abide by and respect the decision taken at the highest level."
Motsepe strongly condemned the Senegalese team's actions in the final, saying they reaffirmed negative stereotypes about African football, which the federation had been working hard to eliminate.
He stressed, "This diminishes the value of the significant efforts made by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over many years to ensure integrity, respect for rules, ethics, and governance."
