A dark day for African football

The Confederation of African Football's decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco two months after the final whistle is nothing short of catastrophic.

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This ruling, handed down by CAF's appeal board on March 17, does not merely rewrite history - it fundamentally undermines the credibility of African football itself.Let us be clear about what transpired. Senegal won the final on the pitch. Pape Gueye scored in extra time, and the Teranga Lions celebrated a legitimate second continental crown. The fact that Senegalese players briefly left the field after a contentious stoppage-time penalty was awarded to Morocco is undisputed.

But the punishment bears no relation to the infraction. Article 84 of the Afcon regulations, which allows for a match forfeiture, was designed for scenarios where a team refuses to play or abandons a match entirely. Senegal returned. Senegal won. And yet, CAF’s appeal board ruled that the team “forfeited” the final and recorded a 3-0 victory for Morocco.