Controversial can 2025 title decision sparks outrage in Senegal
The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has ignited a firestorm across Africa and beyond by revoking the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) title awarded to Senegal and handing it to Morocco instead. This unprecedented decision, announced two months after Senegal’s dramatic 1-0 victory in the final, has left football fans and officials stunned.
The controversy stems from Senegal’s walk-off protest during the final in Rabat. With the match tied in stoppage time, the referee controversially awarded a penalty to Morocco. Senegal’s players, furious over a missed penalty call in their favor earlier, stormed off the field in protest. The match resumed after 15 minutes, and Senegal eventually won on the field, but the CAF’s decision now overrides that result.
Senegal government demands international investigation into alleged corruption
Senegal has not taken the decision lightly. The government has formally requested an international investigation into what it calls “suspicions of corruption within CAF leadership”. Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye, spokesperson for the Senegalese executive, declared: “Senegal categorically rejects this unjust attempt to strip us of our title.”
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has also announced plans to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, calling the ruling “unprecedented, unjust, and unacceptable—tarnishing African football.”
Abdoulaye Sow, Secretary-General of the FSF, vowed to retain the trophy in Senegal: “The CAF is rotten. The global reaction confirms widespread outrage. The President of the FSF is consulting all relevant parties. The fight is far from over. I assure all Senegalese: the cup stays in Senegal. The victory is ours.”
CAF cites regulation violations, but Senegal cries foul
The CAF justified its decision using Articles 82 and 84 of the CAN regulations. Article 82 states that if a team leaves the field without referee permission, it is considered to have forfeited the match. The CAF’s appeal panel applied this rule retroactively, declaring Senegal’s team “forfeit” and awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory.
However, Senegal argues that players only protested after a series of controversial decisions by the referee, including an earlier missed penalty in their favor. The team returned to the field after 15 minutes, and the match concluded with Senegal scoring the winning goal.
Morocco’s football federation welcomed the decision, stating it was not contesting sporting merit but merely requesting strict application of the rules. A source close to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation pointed to a 2019 precedent involving Wydad Casablanca, whose protest led to a similar ruling in the CAF Champions League final.
global reaction and ongoing fallout
Reactions from media and football communities have been swift and critical. Headlines across Europe and Africa have called the decision “a joke”, “unbelievable”, and “a blow to African football integrity.”
Meanwhile, disciplinary actions have already been taken. In late January, the CAF imposed heavy fines on both federations for unsportsmanlike conduct. Additionally, legal proceedings against 18 Senegalese supporters, imprisoned since the final for hooliganism, have been postponed until March 30th.
As the appeal process begins, the football world watches closely—will justice be served on the pitch, or will politics and controversy decide the fate of the 2025 CAN title?
