Former Senegal head coach Alain Giresse has launched a fierce criticism of the Confederation of African Football following its decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco.
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‎CAF’s Appeals Board delivered a shock ruling on Tuesday, annulling Senegal’s victory and awarding Morocco a 3-0 win after upholding an appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
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‎The decision was based on Articles 82 and 84 of tournament regulations, which deem a team to have forfeited a match if players leave the field without permission.
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‎The ruling followed dramatic scenes during the final, when Senegal’s players walked off the pitch for more than 15 minutes in protest at a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
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‎After returning to the field, the Teranga Lions went on to win the match, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal after Brahim Díaz had missed the penalty that sparked the protest.
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‎However, CAF determined that Senegal’s actions constituted a breach of its regulations, triggering an automatic forfeiture despite earlier disciplinary sanctions already imposed on both teams.
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‎Giresse, who coached Senegal between 2013 and 2015, described the decision as “outrageous” and questioned the logic behind it.
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‎“They rely on regulations that they scrutinise down to the smallest detail,” he said, “but the Senegalese team had already been punished with heavy fines. Now they are turning those sanctions into a sporting defeat.”
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‎He also rejected CAF’s reasoning that Morocco had been disadvantaged psychologically by the disruption.
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‎“What nonsense is this?” he added. “Who suffered more in such an exceptional match? Senegal.”
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‎The Frenchman went further, warning that the ruling risks damaging the reputation of African football.
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‎“When I see what football means in Africa, does CAF really think this decision will improve its image?” he asked. “Will they come out of this stronger?”
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‎Giresse likened the outcome to “a knockout blow” for Senegal, suggesting the decision felt like “outright persecution”.
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‎The controversy continues to grow, with Senegal’s football authorities preparing to challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
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‎As debate intensifies, the 2025 AFCON final is increasingly being viewed as one of the most contentious episodes in the tournament’s history, raising wider questions about governance and fairness in African football.