Senegal Players Respond After CAF Awards AFCON Title to Morocco
· YEN.com.gh News · Join- CAF overturned the 2025 AFCON final result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and stripping Senegal of the title
- The decision came nearly two months after Senegal had originally won the final in a match marked by a controversial penalty and a temporary walk-off
- Reactions from the Senegal squad on social media highlighted frustration, disbelief, and the surreal nature of the unprecedented ruling
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A number of Senegal players have expressed their frustration and disbelief after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory in a historic and unprecedented decision.
The ruling was made in accordance with CAF’s competition regulations, effectively nullifying the dramatic on-field result that had originally crowned Senegal as champions.
Source: Getty Images
On Tuesday night, March 17, on CAF's official website, Morocco were officially declared the 2025 AFCON champions, 58 days after suffering a dramatic 1-0 defeat to Senegal in the final.
The match had been mired in controversy. In second-half stoppage time, Morocco were awarded a highly contentious penalty after Brahim Diaz was judged to have been fouled by Senegalese defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.
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The decision sparked immediate protest. Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw instructed his players to leave the pitch, leading to a tense 16-minute delay before captain Sadio Mané persuaded his teammates to return and continue the match.
Morocco’s penalty was ultimately saved by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, and Senegal went on to secure the win on the night.
According to the BBC, Senegal secured the title thanks to a spectacular moment from midfielder Pape Gueye.
Source: Getty Images
Deep into extra time, in the 94th minute, Gueye unleashed a powerful long-range strike that rocketed past the Moroccan defence and into the net.
However, CAF’s ruling on Tuesday nullified the final result, awarding a 3-0 victory to Morocco, effectively stripping Senegal of the title they had celebrated for nearly two months.
How Senegal players reacted on social media
The decision prompted strong reactions from Senegalese players on social media.
Midfielder Habib Diarra, who plays for Sunderland AFC in the Premier League, shared three pictures of himself with the AFCON trophy and a video from Senegal’s seven-hour open-top bus parade through Dakar, expressing the pride they had felt.
Pathe Ciss, currently with Rayo Vallecano, posted an image of himself holding the trophy with five laughing-face emojis, conveying a mix of disbelief and frustration.
Toulouse midfielder Pape Demba Diop was even more direct, writing on his Instagram story:
“I think we’re in a madhouse.”
Defender Moussa Niakhate, who plays for Olympique Lyonnais, also shared his reaction, posting three pictures - including one with the trophy - captioned:
“This is not AI. This is real,” highlighting the surreal nature of the ruling.
Articles used in stripping Senegal of AFCON title
Now, in explaining its latest verdict, the CAF Appeal Board said its decision relied on Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.
So what do those articles say in full?
Article 82 reads as follows:
''If, for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match, or refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered looser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition. The same shall apply for the teams previously disqualified by decision of CAF.''
Article 84 is also provided in full below.
''The team which contravenes the provisions of articles 82 and 83 shall be eliminated for good from the competition. This team will lose its match by 3-0 unless the opponent has scored a more advantageous result at the time when the match was interrupted, in this case this score will be maintained. The Organising Committee may adopt further measures.''
Meanwhile, it remains to be known what Senegal's next line of action would be.
2025 AFCON award winners
Earlier, YEN.com.gh also reported on the full award winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, featuring Senegal's Sadio Mane.
The Al-Nassr playmaker was voted the Player of the Tournament, but with Senegal currently denied the 2025 AFCON honour, that individual prize would mean little for the ex-Liverpool star.
Source: YEN.com.gh