Former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has criticised the decision of the Confederation of African Football to award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title to Morocco.
Reacting to the decision on his X post, he said the title was decided off the pitch.
Morocco was declared the winner after CAF overturned the result of their final defeat to Senegal. Senegal had beaten Morocco 1-0 in the final on January 18.
The match was disrupted when Senegal players stopped play after a stoppage-time penalty was awarded to the hosts. Play later resumed, the penalty by Brahim Diaz was saved, before Pape Gueye scored the winner in extra time.
CAF later ruled that Senegal forfeited the match. A statement from the body said Senegal are “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.
ALSO READ: AFCON 2025: Senegal rejects CAF verdict, plans appeal
CAF said the decision followed an appeal by the Moroccan FA, which was upheld. It added that Senegal breached Article 82 of the regulations, making Article 84 applicable.
Article 82 states that a team that refuses to play or leaves the field without the referee’s authorisation will be considered the loser. Article 84 provides that such a team will lose the match 3-0.
Reacting to the decision, Shehu Sani said, “Senegal won the AFCON on the Pitch but was snatched by CAF in the boardroom; that’s unconscionable and a dangerous precedent in African football.
“The fact that the Senegalese team walked out in protest and returned to play till the final whistle doesn’t warrant this afterthought daylight robbery. They just want to reward Morocco for hosting and losing.”
Recall that the Senegalese Football Federation has rejected the decision and said it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The federation said it had taken note of the ruling by CAF’s Appeal Committee.
“The Senegalese Football Federation has today taken note of the notification of the decision rendered on March 17, 2026, by the Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football, in the context of case DC23316,” the statement read.
The federation said the appeal board admitted the protest by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football and overturned the earlier decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board.
“With this decision, the CAF Appeals Board declared the appeal of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation admissible and accepted it.
“In doing so, the board overturned the decision rendered by the CAF Disciplinary Board, on the grounds that the appellant’s right to be heard had not been respected during the initial proceedings,” the FSF said.
“The Appeals Committee also determined that the conduct of the Senegalese team fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations.
“Consequently, CAF declared that the FSF had violated Article 82 and awarded the match by forfeit, with a recorded score of 3–0 in favour of the FRMF, in accordance with Article 84.
“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision that discredits African football.
“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the Federation will initiate, as soon as possible, an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” the statement said.
