Nigerian football legend Mutiu Adepoju during an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa warned that CAF’s decision to retrospectively overturn the AFCON 2025 final result is “not good for the image” of African football.
The 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner expressed his disbelief after the CAF Appeal Board announced the decision to strip the Senegalese of the title on Wednesday.
The decision is coming almost two months after the final in Rabat and it was stated that Morocco would be awarded the trophy due to a rule violation by Senegal.
The Teranga Lions originally celebrated their victory on the pitch in January, but an appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) regarding a brief walk-off by Senegal players during the match has now seen the result reversed to a 3-0 forfeit.
“Not good for the image”
Speaking exclusively to Footy-Africa, Adepoju questioned why the governing body allowed sixty days of celebration to pass before intervening in such a drastic manner.
“Yes, definitely. The decision is not good. It’s not good for the image and all that,” Adepoju told Footy-Africa when asked about the fallout of the ruling. “If a decision is going to be taken, it should have been taken a long time ago, not at the moment—not after two months. That’s just the issue that I’m having.”
The former Real Madrid and Real Sociedad midfielder noted that the timing of the announcement creates an awkward logistical and emotional situation for both nations involved:
“I think all those back and forth shouldn’t have been. I was surprised. Why did it take this long if this is what the rules are supposed to be? I don’t know what Morocco is going to do now. Are they going to celebrate it? And what about the celebration that Senegal has done?”
Senegal FA heads to CAS over AFCON 2025 ruling, blasts CAF verdict
Statutory breach
The controversy centers on a late-game protest where Senegal players briefly left the field of play following a VAR decision. CAF has grounded its decision in the strict application of its disciplinary statutes, specifically citing the articles regarding team conduct.
In its official ruling, the CAF Appeal Board cited Article 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, which states:
“If a team refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered to have lost the match and shall be definitively eliminated from the current competition.”
Because the walk-off occurred during the final, CAF determined that a 3-0 loss must be recorded against Senegal, effectively handing the title to Morocco.
Despite the ruling, Adepoju was quick to dismiss critics who suggest these administrative hurdles make AFCON a “lesser” tournament than its European or South American counterparts.
“I’m an African and this is our competition,” Adepoju insisted. “I don’t share in the opinion that AFCON is not a real competition. AFCON is still what it is, which we should just try as much as possible to make sure that we defend.”
The battle for the trophy now moves from the pitch to the courtroom. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has confirmed it will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that the match was eventually completed in full and the result on the pitch should stand.
