African Cup of Nations 2025: Senegal handing over the title to Morocco “must be denounced,” according to what the CAF executive says

A senior Confederation of African Football (CAF) official said the decision to deny Senegal the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title is “despicable” and “we must condemn it”.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final in January, but the Confederation of African Football annulled the result on Tuesday because Senegal players walked off the field in protest after host Morocco was awarded a penalty kick in stoppage time.

Play resumed after a 17-minute delay, and the penalty kick taken by Ibrahim Diaz for Morocco was saved, taking the match to extra time, where Senegalese Pape Gueye scored the winning goal.

After an appeal filed by the Moroccan Football Federation, CAF decided that Senegal’s exit from the field meant losing the match, as “the score was 3-0 in favor of Morocco.”

“In a situation like this, we have to fight injustice,” Augustin Senghor, a member of the CAF Executive Committee and former president of the Senegalese Football Federation, told BBC World Newsday.

“Football is fair play, football is played on the field, not in offices.

“What happened with CAF was unacceptable.

He added: “When you see a committee making such a decision in violation of our rules, in violation of the FIFA laws of the game, by taking the cup and giving it to Morocco, I think this is a very despicable thing.”

“We have to condemn that.”

The Royal Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday that the ruling issued by CAF “supports respect for the rules necessary for the proper conduct of international competition.”

He added: “This decision helps clarify the framework applicable to similar situations in the future and contributes to the consistency and credibility of international competitions, especially African football.”

But Senghor believes the decision was made after pressure from the FRMF.

He added: “Senegal will fight because what happened is happening for the first time in the story of African football, in world football.”

“I’m sure that if we were [appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport] Then we will win and the cup will never leave Senegal. “It’s clear in my mind.”