African football icon George Weah has strongly criticised the Confederation of African Football’s decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco.
CAF’s Appeal Board reached the verdict after reviewing a petition submitted by Morocco following the controversial final. The panel ruled that Senegal forfeited the match after abandoning play during the chaotic encounter, leading to the cancellation of the original 1-0 result.
In its place, the board awarded Morocco a 3-0 walkover victory, officially declaring the host nation as the new African champions.
Reacting in a lengthy statement on Thursday, Weah expressed deep concern over the ruling, insisting that the integrity of football must be protected and that results should not be altered after matches have been concluded.
He also called on the Court of Arbitration for Sport and other relevant authorities to act swiftly to address the situation.
“The subsequent decision by the CAF committee, taken after the match had already been concluded, should not override the authority exercised by the referee during the game,” Weah stated.
“Football must be decided on the pitch, not re-decided after the final whistle.”
The former Liberia president warned that allowing such decisions to stand could set a dangerous precedent for the sport across the continent and beyond.
Meanwhile, Senegal forward Sadio Mané has also publicly condemned CAF’s action, describing the decision as unjust and adding to the growing wave of criticism surrounding the controversial ruling.
Should we send you latest update about your favourite sports and team?
Enter you email in the box below and hit the subscribe button to join our teaming 876+ sports community.
