CAF decision to strip Senegal of AFCON 2025 trophy will make Africa a laughingstock worldwide

Celebrated football coach, Claude Le Roy, has warned that the decision by CAF to strip Senegal of their AFCON 2025 trophy will make Africa a laughingstock on the world stage.

The Confederation of African Football’s decision to award Morocco the AFCON 2025 title by default has continued to spark intense debate, even as attention briefly shifted to a dramatic night in the UEFA Champions League.

The announcement by the Confederation of African Football, which followed a successful appeal by Morocco, overturned Senegal’s on-field victory in the final played on January 18.

The ruling has since triggered widespread reaction across the global football community, with many expressing shock at the sudden reversal.

Veteran French coach Claude Le Roy did not hold back in his criticism while speaking on L’Equipe TV on Tuesday evening.

Having previously coached several African national teams, including Senegal, Cameroon, and DR Congo, Le Roy voiced deep disappointment with CAF’s handling of the situation.

“I couldn’t believe that the Confederation of African Football could go down this miserable path. When I see how Patrice Motsepe runs this institution, I see him as merely a follower of Gianni Infantino, who was determined from the beginning to award the African Cup of Nations title to Morocco.”

He went further to question both the timing and nature of the decision, despite acknowledging Morocco’s overall performance in the tournament.

“ Morocco played a great tournament and deserved to win it, but in the final match, the Senegalese team was more deserving of the title. Hearing such a decision after only two months is unbelievable. The African Union has been ignoring decisions and rules for years. Infantino thinks he is the king of African football, and he thinks he can get away with anything in Africa. Perhaps he used all the tricks to ensure that Morocco was crowned with the title.”

Le Roy also warned that the controversy is far from over, suggesting that the matter could escalate further through legal channels.

“But it’s not over yet. The image the African Union is presenting now is very unfortunate. I think the case will go to the appeals committee, and then, depending on the decision, it may be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This decision will become a laughingstock in the entire football world, while Morocco’s statement was populist and weak.”

He concluded by questioning the severity of the sanctions imposed on Senegal, arguing that the situation did not warrant such drastic consequences.

“The only penalty the referee could have imposed was to give a yellow card to all the players who left the field. There were only a few seconds left, and the two Senegalese players who received a warning could have received a red card. I don’t know where they got this perceived victory from. Morocco’s reaction is risky, and we don’t know what their intentions are. I am saddened by the decisions taken by the Confederation of African Football,” he said.