‘I wouldn’t accept it’ – Wayne Rooney hits out at CAF over AFCON controversy

Former England captain Wayne Rooney has criticized the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following their decision to retroactively award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title to Morocco, calling the move “crazy” and maintaining that Senegal won the trophy “fair and square”.

The controversy stems from the AFCON final held in Rabat on January 18, 2026, where Senegal initially defeated hosts Morocco 1–0 after extra time. However, the CAF Appeal Board overturned this result on March 17, 2026, declaring Morocco 3–0 winners by forfeit.

The ruling cited a brief 17-minute walk-off by Senegalese players in protest of a late penalty as a violation of tournament regulations.

Rooney, speaking on the fallout of the decision, expressed disbelief that a result achieved on the pitch could be reversed in a boardroom months later.

“It’s crazy. If I was a Morocco player, I wouldn’t accept it,” Rooney stated, emphasizing that the victory belongs to the team that performed better during the match.

He noted that despite the protest, the match had resumed, the penalty was missed, and Senegal ultimately scored the decisive goal in open play.

The Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) has labeled the decision “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable” and confirmed it will appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The FSF argues that because the referee allowed play to continue and concluded the match normally, the original result should stand.

The ruling has sparked a massive debate across the football world, with critics like Rooney suggesting that the administrative win “casts a shadow” over the integrity of the continental competition.