Morocco’s newly appointed head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has praised the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) controversial decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations crown and award it to the Atlas Lions, calling the ruling “well-deserved.”
Senegal had clinched a dramatic 1-0 victory over Morocco in Rabat on January 18, with Pape Gueye scoring in extra time after Morocco missed a stoppage-time penalty.
The match descended into chaos when Senegalese players briefly walked off the pitch in protest at the penalty decision, only returning after captain Sadio Mané intervened. CAF later ruled that the protest violated competition rules, annulling Senegal’s triumph and declaring Morocco champions.
Speaking at the unveiling of his first squad list ahead of friendlies against Ecuador and Paraguay, Ouahbi congratulated “all Moroccans, the staff, the players and the federation” on the outcome. “This decision pleases everyone,” he said, while stressing that his focus now is on preparing Morocco for the upcoming World Cup. Ouahbi replaced Walid Regragui earlier this month, partly due to Regragui’s failure to secure the AFCON title.
The Moroccan Football Federation welcomed CAF’s ruling as a “respect for the rules,” but Senegal’s federation has vowed to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), denouncing the move as “unjust.” Senegalese officials have also demanded a corruption probe into the decision, while fans across Africa have voiced outrage, branding the stripping of the title “a disgrace.”
CAF’s disciplinary committee had initially stopped short of overturning the final result, instead imposing heavy fines on both federations for unsportsmanlike conduct. The latest ruling, however, has reignited debate over governance and fairness in African football.
Morocco, semifinalists at the 2022 World Cup, will compete in Group C at this year’s tournament alongside Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti. For Ouahbi, the disputed AFCON title is already history: “It’s important to focus on the present and the future. My goal is to make the team competitive for the World Cup.”
