Shehu Sani, a former federal legislator from Nigeria, has launched a vicious attack on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after it decided to give Morocco the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title instead of Senegal.
According to Naija News, Senegal was declared to have forfeited the final by the CAF’s Appeal Board on Tuesday after their players protested by leaving the field during a heated portion of the match.
Senegal’s 1-0 victory on the field was overturned by the ruling, giving Morocco a 3-0 walkover.
The referee’s contentious penalty award to Morocco was the turning point. Enraged by the call and encouraged by their coach, Senegal’s players left the game for a short while. Before inspiring his teammates to come back and finish the game, captain Sadio Mane remained behind.
Senegal prevailed when Morocco was unable to convert the penalty. The records have now been cleared of that outcome.
Sani did not hold back when responding via 𝕏. “Senegal won the AFCON on the field but was snatched by CAF in the boardroom; that’s unconscionable and a dangerous precedent in African football,” he wrote.
“The Senegalese team’s protest walkout and return to play until the final whistle doesn’t warrant this afterthought daylight robbery,” he continued. All they want to do is reward Morocco for losing while hosting.
His comments reflect growing dissatisfaction with CAF’s handling of the incident, with detractors raising concerns about the ruling’s timing as well as its broader ramifications for the competition’s integrity.
