By Akinwale Kasali
The Patrice Motsepe led Confederation of African Football, CAF, has been heavily criticised following its verdict which awarded the 2025 African Cup of Nations Championship Trophy to Atlas Lions of Morocco, at the expense of the Teranga Lions of Senegal, who defeated host, Morocco, 1-0, at the final of the Championship.
Though CAF stated that it awarded Morocco the Trophy following the walk out staged by Senegalese Players from the pitch due to a contentious call by Congolese match referee, Jean-Jacques Ndala, which gave the penalty right at the end of the allotted eight added minutes following a Video Assistant Referee, VAR, check for a challenge on Brahim Diaz in the box by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.
CAF, in a statement on Tuesday, said “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match,” a 1-0 victory in the final, “with the result being officially recorded as 3-0” in favour of Morocco.
CAF’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal breached Article 84 (abandoning a match), overturning an earlier decision that merely fined Senegal.
This development has however generated mixed feelings and intense controversy surround the CAF Appeal Board’s decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title and award it to host nation Morocco.
It has also triggered mixed reactions over rules enforcement versus sporting justice.
Critics describe the decision as “CAF pandering to Morocco” and an “embarrassment,” while some legal interpretations suggest it is a strict, albeit delayed, application of competition rules.
The Senegalese Football Federation considers the decision “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” and is expected to challenge it at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS.
Netizens and football fans across Africa have expressed strong, polarized reactions to the CAF verdict to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title.
Following the decision on March 17, 2026, social media platforms became hubs for heated debate, with reactions ranging from outrage to satisfaction.
Many users, particularly from West Africa, labeled the decision a “disgrace” and a “shame” to African football, alleging that the verdict was politically motivated and that Morocco was unfairly favored.
According to Femi Akano, a Football analysts, “Trophies should be won on the field, not through technical appeals.
“This is daylight robbery, and it further exposes how corrupt CAF is. Senegal, who initially won 1-0 in the final, are the “real champions,” regardless of the walk-off incident”, Akano stated.
A football enthusiast, Omoyemi Alabi, complained about the timing, stating that the timing is controversial, adding that why did it take CAF so long before making this decision.
“The fact that the ruling was passed two months after the January 18th final caused significant frustration. The decision is “unprecedented” and unacceptable”.
In contrast to the criticism, Moroccan media and fans largely celebrated the ruling as a victory for the “proper application of competition rules” and a sign of the nation’s rising status in football.
Though several Senegal players reacted to the news on social media by posting pictures of themselves with the trophy, questioning the validity of the decision with humorous emojis.
This situation has further triggered calls for reform within CAF, with many asking for more consistent and transparent officiating.
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