Senegal have been sensationally stripped of their 2025 AFCON tile.
Image: Sebastien Bozon/AFP
Nhlanhla Kubeka, media consultant and staunch football supporter
Image: Supplied
From the townships of Johannesburg to the streets of Dakar, football is more than ninety minutes – it’s pride, identity, and belonging. That is why the recent decision by the Confederation of African Football Appeal Board regarding the Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal has landed like a gut punch to fans across the continent.
As supporters of African football, we are left stunned and deeply unsettled. Nearly 95 days after the final whistle blew, a decision has been handed down that strips Senegal of a title they fought for, bled for, and rightfully earned on the pitch – only to hand it, retrospectively, to Morocco. This is not just surprising; it feels fundamentally wrong.
Senegal did not stumble into victory. They rose to it. Their campaign was a masterclass in resilience, discipline, and unity – the very qualities that define African football at its best. Every tackle, every goal, every moment of brilliance told a story of sacrifice and national pride. To now erase that triumph, long after celebrations have echoed across the continent, is not merely administrative – it is deeply unjust.
Football cannot be rewritten in hindsight. The beauty of the game lies in its immediacy, its fairness, and its finality. Once the whistle blows, the result stands. Anything else risks turning football into something unrecognisable where outcomes are decided not by players on the field, but by processes behind closed doors.
The role of the Confederation of African Football is to protect the integrity of the game. Yet decisions like this, delivered without clear, timely, and transparent communication, do the opposite. They shake confidence, not only in governance but in the very essence of competition. For millions of fans across Africa, football is hope. It is unity. It is a rare space where merit still matters. Undermining that principle damages more than reputations – it damages belief.
As fans, we are not calling for chaos – we are calling for fairness. We demand clarity on how such a decision could be reached so long after the fact. We demand accountability for a process that appears to disregard the lived reality of players and supporters alike. And above all, we call for justice – for Senegal, for the game, and for every African who believes that victories must be earned and honoured on the pitch.
Because if titles can be taken away in boardrooms months later, then what are we really watching?
Senegal’s victory was not just a moment – it was history. To take that away is to take something from all of us who love the game.
CAF must act. And it must act with integrity.
Nhlanhla Kubeka, media consultant and staunch football supporter
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