Morocco seen with his silver medal after last January’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal. A CAF ruling last week saw the result of the game, won by Senegal, overturned, making hosts Morocco the winners of the tournament.
Image: Franck Fife/AFP
Comments attributed to Achraf Hakimi over the weekend claim the Paris Saint-Germain defender will try to convince his teammates to reject the Africa Cup of Nations title.
Senegal beat Morocco 1–0 in the final in January, but the result was later overturned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after Senegal’s players staged a walk-off in protest of a late penalty awarded to the hosts. CAF subsequently ruled the match a forfeit, awarding Morocco a 3–0 victory.
“I didn’t win 2025 AFCON. Congratulations to Senegal once again,” Morocco captain Hakimi said, according to a report by Russian outlet RT, although the comments could not be independently verified.
“My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy. I’m officially rejecting the trophy and hope my teammates do the same. We had a chance to win it but we failed to win it. That’s football – sometimes you win and sometimes you lose,” the 27-year-old is alleged to have said.
Senegal's football association described the ruling as “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable”, confirming they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
They have also refused to return the trophy, with head coach Pape Thiaw reportedly taking it to a military base, where it is believed to be under lock and key.
The backlash has only intensified in the days since, with some of the continent’s most respected voices openly questioning CAF’s credibility. Former Egypt international Mido did not hold back, branding the decision “a complete joke” and warning it risks making African football look “corrupt” on the global stage, while still insisting Morocco “lost on the pitch.”
Cameroon legend Roger Milla echoed that disbelief, calling the ruling “a disgrace” and raising practical concerns about how such a retroactive decision can even be implemented, from medals to historical records. For many, it is not just about this final, but the precedent it sets – one where results can be rewritten long after the final whistle.
That sentiment has been reflected more broadly across the football world, where critics argue CAF’s move undermines the fundamental principle that matches are decided on the field. The decision to overturn a 1–0 result and award a 3–0 forfeit has been widely condemned as damaging to the game’s credibility.
As the chorus of dissent grows louder, the controversy is fast becoming a defining moment for African football. With Senegal preparing a legal challenge and calls for accountability intensifying, this saga now goes beyond a single title – it has become a referendum on leadership and the direction of the game on the continent.
IOL Sport