Senegal vs Morocco: The Controversy Surrounding the 2025 AFCON Final
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Senegal and Morocco continues to evoke intense debate and controversy nearly three months after the match. On January 18 in Rabat, Senegal claimed victory on the field after extra time, winning 1-0. However, on March 17, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed this decision, awarding the victory to Morocco by a score of 3-0 due to what they termed a violation of regulations.
This judgment was based on articles 82 and 84 of the CAF regulations, which state that a team that leaves the field or refuses to resume play will automatically be declared the loser. This interpretation has been challenged by the Senegalese Football Federation, which has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in hopes of overturning the ruling.
While awaiting the CAS decision, Senegal’s goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has stepped forward to defend his team's position. In an interview on the Saudi podcast _Mo Show Prod_, Mendy offered a narrative that contradicts the Moroccan accusations of a collective abandonment by the Senegalese team. "People claimed that we all left the pitch during the final, but that is false. There were still players on the field, and it is very important to clarify this," he stated emphatically.
Furthermore, Mendy referenced the referee Jean-Jacques Ndala’s report to support his argument, highlighting that the referee did not signal the end of the match. Instead, Ndala noted that the game was temporarily stopped but not abandoned, as players remained on the pitch. Mendy contended, "The match was indeed paused and then resumed, which invalidates any idea of a forfeit. The game continued until the end, and if the entire team had left, we wouldn't be discussing this today. But that was not the case."
Despite Mendy's assertions, some reports, including one from _Afrik Foot_, suggest that nearly the entire Senegalese team, with the exception of Sadio Mané, did leave the pitch for several minutes, including Mendy, who was seen among the first to return to the locker room. As the conflicting narratives continue to unfold, the final verdict from the CAS remains eagerly anticipated, leaving the outcome of this saga hanging in the balance.
As reported by sports.fr.
