The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football has
defended the Confederation of African Football over its controversial decision
to award Morocco the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, despite growing
backlash from across the football community.
CAF had earlier stripped the Senegal national football
team of the title over alleged regulatory breaches and awarded a 3–0 final
victory to the Morocco national football team.
Senegal had originally won the match, with Pape Gueye
scoring the decisive goal in extra time. However, the game was marred by
controversy after Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch during normal
time in protest.
The protest followed two disputed decisions: the
disallowing of a goal by Ismaila Sarr and a late penalty awarded to Morocco
after a VAR review. Senegal’s coach, Pape Thiaw, was seen urging his players to
leave the field, though they later returned to continue the match.
Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the resulting penalty,
sending the game into extra time where Senegal eventually secured
victory—before CAF’s post-match ruling overturned the result.
In a statement, the Moroccan federation said CAF’s
decision followed proper procedures and should be respected, stressing that its
appeal was focused on upholding competition rules rather than disputing the
performance of any team.
“The Federation reiterates that its approach has
always been grounded in respect for the rules and stability of African
competitions,” the statement read.
The federation also praised all participating nations,
describing the tournament as a milestone for African football development. It
added that a more detailed position would be released following an internal
meeting of its governing bodies.
The decision by CAF’s appeal committee has further
fueled debate about governance, fairness, and regulatory consistency in African
football.
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