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Morocco’s newly appointed head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, congratulated the nation on Thursday after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) made the “well-deserved” decision to award Morocco the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, stripping Senegal of the crown.
The controversial decision follows Senegal’s 1-0 victory in the January 18 final in Rabat. However, the game was marred when Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest after Morocco was awarded a penalty late in the second-half stoppage time. The match resumed after Senegal’s captain, Sadio Mane, managed to coax his teammates back onto the field. Morocco missed the penalty, and Pape Gueye later scored the winner in extra time for Senegal.
Ouahbi, in his first public remarks since taking over as head coach earlier this month, took a moment to reflect on the development.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate all Moroccans, the staff, the players, and the federation on the good news we got two days ago, which is well-deserved.” He further added, “This decision pleases everyone,” acknowledging the importance of the recognition.
Ouahbi, who replaced Walid Regragui after the latter’s failure to win the AFCON, emphasised the need to focus on the present and future of the team, stating that his goal is to make the Moroccan squad competitive for the World Cup.
While Morocco’s football federation praised CAF for its “respect for the rules,” the Senegalese Football Federation reacted strongly, announcing that they would appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), calling the ruling “unjust.”
At the end of January, CAF’s disciplinary committee had already imposed a series of fines on both the Moroccan and Senegalese federations for unsportsmanlike conduct, but did not alter the final result.
