By Ridwanullah Sakariyah
Morocco’s head coach, Mohammed Ouahbi, on Thursday has backed the decision of the Confederation of African Football to strip Senegal national football team of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco national football team.
CAF had on Tuesday overturned Senegal’s 1–0 victory in the January 18 final in Rabat, ruling that the team breached regulations after its players walked off the pitch to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco.
Speaking at a press conference at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Maamora, Ouahbi said the decision was justified.
He said, “First of all, I would like to congratulate all Moroccans, the staff, the players and the federation on the good news we got two days ago, which is well deserved.”
He added, “This title belongs to the national team. We are very pleased with this decision, but we must now focus on the future.”
Senegal’s players had briefly left the pitch in protest before returning after intervention by their captain, Sadio Mané. Morocco, however, missed the resulting penalty, while Senegal later scored through Pape Gueye in extra time to win the match.
CAF said the walk-off affected the integrity of the game, leading to its decision to reverse the result.
The Moroccan Football Federation welcomed the ruling, describing it as justified, “well deserved”, reflective of respect for the rules.
But the Senegalese Football Federation disagreed, calling the decision unjust and confirming it would challenge the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Earlier, CAF had fined both teams for misconduct without altering the result. The latest ruling, however, has now handed the title to Morocco, setting up a legal contest over the decision.
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