Comoros coach Hubert Velud labels AFCON final controversy ‘Catastrophic’ for African football

Comoros head coach Hubert Velud has expressed deep concern over the controversy surrounding the 2025 AFCON final, warning that the dispute has damaged the image of African football despite the quality of the tournament on the pitch.

The French coach addressed the ongoing debate over the outcome of the final, a matter that remains unresolved as legal proceedings continue.

The controversy emerged after Senegal, who won the match on the field, saw their title challenged by Morocco following the final.

In a decision that sparked widespread discussion, CAF’s disciplinary committee awarded the trophy to Morocco by default.

Senegal subsequently rejected the ruling and lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which is expected to deliver a verdict on the matter.

Velud believes the events that followed the final have overshadowed what was otherwise a strong football spectacle.

“The spectacle on the pitch was of good quality, a good match. That’s not the problem. The problem is what happened at the end. With everything that transpired, it unfortunately paints a very negative picture of African football. These issues of interpretation and refereeing really need to be addressed in the future,” he stated.

The Comoros coach reserved particular criticism for the fact that the destination of a major football title is now being debated away from the field of play.

“A court decision on the result of a football match shouldn’t exist. It’s dramatic, it’s catastrophic for African football. It won’t have much value anyway,” he added.

While he voiced concern over the final and its aftermath, Velud stressed that the refereeing standards during the rest of the competition were largely satisfactory. In his view, the controversy should not overshadow the work done throughout the tournament.

“The refereeing before the final was correct; overall, there weren’t any major problems in any of the matches. I think that what happened in the final shows that we still have progress to make in terms of refereeing in Africa.

But with a general awareness, we will be able to do as well as other continents in this area,” he believes.

As the football world awaits the decision from CAS, the debate surrounding the 2025 AFCON final continues to attract attention.

For Velud, however, the key issue is the impact the dispute has had on perceptions of African football and the need to strengthen confidence in refereeing and decision-making processes across the continent.