The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Wednesday that he was travelling to Dakar, the capital of Senegal, to offer his support to Senegalese football leaders, but he refrained from directly discussing the details of the controversial CAF decision that stripped Senegal of its African championship title last month.
He also expressed concern about the loss of confidence in the decisions of CAF referees and judicial bodies. "Some of these decisions do not enjoy the respect and credibility that are very important in our eyes," he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Patrice Motsepe met with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a fervent supporter of the national team since the chaotic January final, during which the Senegalese players left the field.
Most of the Senegalese players left the pitch for nearly ten minutes while fans clashed with security guards behind one of the goals to protest a controversial penalty awarded to Morocco after a Senegalese goal was disallowed. The players then returned to the field, Morocco missed their penalty, and Senegal won in extra time.
Following the match on January 18, the CAF disciplinary committee fined the Senegalese and Moroccan federations over one million dollars and suspended the Senegalese coach and several players. This did not change the result.
But in March, the CAF appeals committee ruled that Senegal had lost the final for leaving the field without the referee's permission and awarded the victory 3-0 to Morocco.
Motsepe subsequently defended this decision. The Senegalese Football Federation filed an appeal in March with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
