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Everton midfielder and Senegal captain Idrissa Gueye, who led the team in the final, has been vocal in his defiance as CAF awards Morocco the AFCON title while it was stripped from Senegal.
In the annals of African football, few moments have sparked as much outrage and division as the Confederation of African Football (CAF)'s extraordinary decision to strip Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to hosts Morocco.
What began as a dramatic final on January 18 in Rabat has now escalated into a full-blown continental controversy, raising serious questions about rules, fairness, and the integrity of the competition. Amid this, Senegal caption has issued a statement following the decision.
Idrissa Gueye calls CAF decision to award Morocco AFCON title ‘ridiculous’
In a recent statement, Gueye described the outcome as "ridiculous," insisting the title was won "on the pitch" and that no office decision could erase the memories or achievements of the squad and their supporters. He said:
"We deserve this trophy. We fight on the pitch and everyone knows what happened and I think if you play 10 times this game we would win it 10 times."
The chaos unfolded in the dying seconds of normal time. With the score locked at 0-0, referee awarded Morocco a penalty following a VAR review of a challenge on Brahim Díaz.
Angered by the decision coming moments after Senegal had a goal disallowed the Senegalese players, encouraged by coach Pape Thiaw, walked off the pitch in protest. They remained in the dressing room for around 15-17 minutes before eventually returning, at the urging of captain Sadio Mané
Brahim Díaz's subsequent Panenka-style penalty was saved by Édouard Mendy, and the match proceeded into extra time, where Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal to hand Senegal a 1-0 victory and what appeared to be their second AFCON crown.
Two months later, however, CAF's Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the final by leaving the field, citing infringements of tournament regulations. The result was overturned, recorded as a 3-0 win for Morocco, and the Atlas Lions were declared champions.
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