Two days after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Senegal of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and instead declared the host nation, Morocco, champions, Alhassan Hann remains in shock.
“We didn’t expect this at all,” the 23-year-old Dakar university student said. “This decision is unjust. Personally, I find it ridiculous. I think it doesn’t give a very good image of African football.”
CAF’s sensational announcement on Tuesday evening came two months after the 18 January final, which ended in a 1-0 win for Senegal, courtesy of an extra-time goal. The game itself had become mired in controversy when some Senegalese players staged a 15-minute walk-off the closing minutes of regular time in protest at Morocco being awarded a penalty.
Morocco filed an appeal saying that the walk-off effectively meant Senegal had forfeited the match, and a CAF disciplinary panel headed by a Nigerian judge ruled in its favour, handing Morocco a 3-0 default win.
CAF’s reversal has sent a shock wave around the footballing world, inspiring jokes and memes. “I thought it was an April fool’s joke,” said the Dakar-born ex-French international Patrice Evra. “The real champions are Senegal and they always will be.” A post on X from Domino’s Pizza UK read: “Just had Morocco come in and collect Senegal’s order.”
In Africa, most fans and commentators have been vocal in their support of Senegal, arguing that the decision by the referee, Jean-Jacques Ndala, to restart and finish the match after the walk-off made the result binding.
For the Senegalese, the mood has shifted from euphoria at being champions to fury and disbelief. “We are bordering on the burlesque here,” said El Hadji Thierno Dramé, a journalist with state broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise. “We knew Morocco had filed an appeal and we expected perhaps harsher sanctions against the players or the coach, but to go as far as stripping the trophy from the Senegalese team? It’s a catastrophe and it is something Senegal will not let slide … it must be reiterated, despite the incidents, [that] the match reached its conclusion.”
Senegal has confirmed it will file an appeal against the “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision” at the court of arbitration for sport in Lausanne.
“This unprecedented and exceptionally serious decision directly contradicts the fundamental principles of sporting ethics, foremost among which are fairness, loyalty and respect for the truth of the game,” the Senegalese Football Federation said in its statement.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation, CAF, and in particular Patrice Motsepe, the South African billionaire who heads it, have all been on the receiving end of a backlash this week. Speculation about alleged corruption and favouritism has also been rife.
The Senegal left-back Ismail Jakobs previously alleged that three of his teammates were poisoned on the eve of the final, echoing similar claims made in 2017 by Gabon’s coach and players before a match against Morocco.
Tensions between the various football authorities were already running high before a ball was kicked. The Senegalese Football Federation filed a petition before the final, claiming it had received only two VIP tickets and 3,152 in total for the match, which was played in the 53,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Pape Ousmane Ba, a 32-year-old entrepreneur, voiced the most cynical of these suspicions. “It’s corruption … when you’ve already ‘eaten,’ you have to deliver to satisfy the one who gave you the money,” he said.
“I think African football is very corrupt and this scandal shows it in a flagrant light. As the host country, Morocco did everything to win the Afcon through schemes and cover-ups.”
Like his compatriots, Ba is optimistic that the CAF decision will be overruled and the trophy returned to Senegal. “We won with dignity, we celebrated with dignity … this is sick,” he said. Football is won on the pitch. That is where we beat them. Out there, 11 against 11.”
