Sadio Mané Slams CAF After Senegal Stripped of 2025 AFCON Title

Senegalese talisman Sadio Mané has strongly criticised the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for overturning Senegal’s victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final and awarding the title to Morocco. The ruling has sparked outrage across the continent and intensified calls for transparency and accountability in African football governance.

CAF’s Appeal Board on March 17, 2026, ruled that Senegal had forfeited the final match against Morocco after temporarily walking off the field in protest over a late penalty. As a result, the final score was recorded as 3–0 in favour of Morocco, overturning Senegal’s 1–0 extra-time win in the original match held in Rabat. Senegal had scored the winning goal after returning to the pitch following a 14-minute protest, with Pape Gueye netting the decisive strike. (pulsesports.ng)

Mané, captain and leader of the Senegalese team, described the decision as “killing the passion of millions of fans” and decried what he called widespread corruption affecting African football. In a statement on his verified X account, he wrote: “This is not the football we fight for, not the Africa we believe in. Players give everything on the pitch, but decisions off it are deciding matches and trophies.” He added that the verdict was deeply disappointing not just for Senegal, but for African football as a whole, and called for fairness, transparency, and respect for the fans and players alike. (goal.com)

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The Senegalese Football Federation and the government have publicly rejected CAF’s ruling, describing it as illegal and unjust, and have committed to appealing the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Officials are also demanding an independent investigation into alleged corruption within CAF’s decision-making process. (vanguardngr.com)

The 2025 AFCON final itself was marked by controversy: Senegal initially left the pitch following a penalty awarded to Morocco’s Brahim Díaz, but returned after persuasion from Mané. Díaz’s penalty attempt failed, and Senegal scored in extra time to win the match. CAF’s subsequent reversal of the result has been criticised by players, officials, and fans as undermining the integrity of African football. (apnews.com)

The decision has sparked international debate, with commentators warning that late reversals of match outcomes set a dangerous precedent and may erode trust in CAF and African football competitions. Mané’s condemnation reflects the frustration of players and fans across Africa who feel that off-field decisions should not overshadow on-pitch performances.

Sadio Mané Slams CAF After Senegal Stripped of 2025 AFCON Title

CAF strips Senegal of AFCON title, Morocco declared winners 

MOROCCO – In an unprecedented turn of events, the CAF Appeal Board has officially crowned host nation Morocco as the champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The decision follows a dramatic overturning of the final’s original result against Senegal.

The ruling comes after the Lions of Teranga staged a walk-off protest during the final match in Rabat. According to a detailed statement released by CAF, the match has been retrospectively recorded as a 3-0 forfeit victory for the Atlas Lions.

The Stoppage-Time Catalyst

The controversy erupted deep into stoppage time with the match balanced on a knife-edge. After Morocco’s Brahim Diaz went down in the penalty area, the referee initially allowed play to continue. However, following a VAR review, a penalty was awarded to the hosts.

Incensed by the decision, Senegal’s head coach Pape Thiaw signaled for his team to leave the pitch. The resulting delay and refusal to resume play led the CAF Appeal Board to cite a breach of tournament regulations.

The Legal Verdict

The Appeal Board ruled that Senegal’s actions fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, which govern team conduct and match abandonment. By vacating the field, Senegal was deemed to have forfeited the match.

“The appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is declared admissible and the appeal is upheld,” the CAF statement confirmed. “The Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of Morocco.”

Fines and Additional Sanctions

While Morocco was awarded the trophy, they did not escape the board’s scrutiny entirely. The ruling addressed several secondary incidents from the chaotic final:

* Ismaël Saibari: The Moroccan player’s fine was set aside, but he received a two-match suspension (one match suspended) for misconduct.

* Ball Boy Conduct: The FRMF was fined $50,000 for the behavior of the ball boys during the match.

* VAR Interference: A $100,000 fine against the FRMF was upheld regarding interference around the VAR review area.

* Laser Incident: A reduced fine of $10,000 was issued to the hosts for the use of lasers by fans.

This ruling effectively strips Senegal of what would have been their second continental title, handing Morocco their first AFCON trophy since 1976 under extraordinary administrative circumstances.

World Cup: Nigeria appeals after FIFA dismissed NFF protest over DR Congo players

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has moved to challenge FIFA’s ruling dismissing its protest over the eligibility of players fielded by Democratic Republic of Congo national football team during their 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff clash.

Nigeria crashed out of the playoff in Rabat, Morocco, after a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat last November, but the controversy surrounding the fixture has refused to fade.

In the aftermath of the loss, the NFF lodged a formal petition with FIFA, alleging irregularities in the documentation of some Congolese players, particularly questioning the legitimacy of passports used to qualify them for the match.

However, after months of review, FIFA’s disciplinary body threw out the protest — a verdict the NFF says it will not accept without a fight.

General Secretary of the federation, Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed that an appeal process had already been triggered.

“We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the outcome,” Sanusi said.

“I want to assure Nigerians that we have immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision.”

While Nigeria continues its legal push, DR Congo have shifted focus to the next hurdle, naming a squad for the intercontinental playoff later this month.

The Central African side will face the winner between Jamaica national football team and New Caledonia national football team, with a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at stake.

Meanwhile, both teams have also been sanctioned by FIFA over crowd misconduct during the ill-tempered playoff encounter.

Nigeria was fined 1,000 Swiss francs after its supporters were found guilty of throwing objects onto the pitch, breaching provisions of FIFA’s disciplinary code.

DR Congo, on the other hand, received a stiffer 5,000 Swiss francs penalty after their fans were caught using laser pointers during the match — an offence FIFA said violated its regulations.

Despite the disciplinary fallout and FIFA’s rejection of its protest, the NFF’s decision to appeal signals that the controversy over the playoff result is far from settled.