Africa Cup of Nations 2025: Senegal says “the battle is not over yet” after Morocco wins the title

In its ruling to award Morocco the title, CAF “partially” supported the appeal against an incident involving football boys in the final match, and reduced the fine imposed by the Moroccan Football Federation due to the incident.

Under the heavy rain, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was regularly drying his gloves, but the ball boys tried repeatedly to throw away the towel.

At one point, Senegalese reserve goalkeeper Yhvane Diouf was tackled to the ground by three ball boys and dragged to the ground when he tried to make a tackle.

The fine imposed on fans who shine laser beams at players on the field has also been reduced.

Former CAF Disciplinary Committee Chairman Raymond Hack questioned the decisions taken by African football’s governing body and suggested there was a perception of “political interference” in his capacity as “president of the Moroccan Football Federation”. [Fouzi Lekjaa] He is the first vice president of CAF.”

“The circus continues,” Huck told the BBC World Service.

“A lot will depend on the referee’s written report, but the fact that the referee allowed the game to continue and they went to extra time gives the impression that he was satisfied that the game would continue.

“He is the only person who can declare the end of the match. Not the authorities, not the governing bodies, just the referee.

“Otherwise we would have a situation around the world where every time someone disagreed with a decision, they would appeal or take it to court or something ridiculous like that.

“The game must be won on the field, not in the boardroom.”

Huck, a lawyer and member of FIFA’s disciplinary committee, said the Moroccan players should have informed the referee that they were playing under protest if they intended to challenge the result.

He also said it could take six months for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule on Senegal’s appeal.

Moroccan journalist Jalal Bounar told Newsday that CAF’s decision was welcomed “with great excitement and joy throughout the country.”

He said, “Morocco appealed the decision to the Confederation of African Football because it believes that Senegal violated the rules during the match, and that is why the Moroccans went out to celebrate.”

“If they give it to Senegal, it will not be the end of the world. We will accept it because we are satisfied that we reached the final.”

However, North African journalist Maher Mazahi said such a feeling is unparalleled across the continent.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “The rest of Africa seems to be outraged by this, because it seems once again that CAF has almost insulted the sport.”

Mazahi referred to CAF’s decision to deprive Togo of participating in the African Cup of Nations twice due to its withdrawal from the 2010 tournament following an armed attack on the team bus in Angola two days before the start of the tournament.

Referring to CAF’s decision on the 2025 final, he said: “They have, unfortunately, gotten into the habit of making decisions like this – whether it’s the disciplinary committee or the appeals board – which in the end are overturned at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it makes the whole thing look very amateurish.”