Ismaël Saibari refuses to revisit AFCON 2025 fallout

Moroccan midfielder Ismaël Saibari says he has moved on from the controversy surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, insisting he no longer wishes to revisit the events that followed the tournament.

The PSV Eindhoven playmaker made his position clear in an interview with Voetbal International, several months after a competition that remains the subject of ongoing debate.

“I tried to disconnect and focus on something else ,” Saibari said when asked about the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and its many consequences.

The midfielder declined to expand further, underlining his desire to leave the episode behind. “For me, this story is over. It’s in the past, there’s no point in talking about it.”

The tournament has been marked by an unusual and disputed conclusion. While Senegal national team defeated Morocco national team 1-0 in the final, the match ended in extraordinary circumstances, with Senegal leaving the pitch before the conclusion.

In a decision that followed weeks later, the Confederation of African Football ultimately awarded the title to Morocco.

The ruling has since been challenged, with Senegal taking the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and declining to return the trophy.

Saibari himself was drawn into the controversy, facing criticism over an incident during the tournament involving Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, for which he later issued an apology.

The aftermath of the competition also had an impact on his club schedule. Due to his involvement at AFCON, Saibari did not benefit from a winter break, prompting head coach Peter Bosz to grant him a short period of rest ahead of a domestic fixture.

“We need a few days off from time to time. But even this week, two or three days before the end, I felt I had to get back to football. I can’t do without it; I always need to play. Peter was right; I’m glad I was able to take this week off.”

Now back with PSV, Saibari appears focused on club responsibilities, choosing to distance himself from a controversy that continues to unfold beyond the pitch.