Achraf Hakimi expects Morocco to be crowned champions by the CAS

The Moroccan international hopes that the Court of Arbitration for Sport will declare the Atlas Lions winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Reactions have been pouring in since the CAF Appeals Committee’s decision to strip Senegal of the African championship title and award it to Morocco. Whilst the Senegalese Football Federation has lodged an appeal with the CAS, Morocco is preparing its defence. But pending the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Achraf Hakimi is calling on the court to recognise Morocco’s victory, awarded by an administrative decision on 17 March. In an interview with Movistar+, the Moroccan player stated that he and his teammates deserve to be champions.

It’s a difficult period, marked by tensions on the pitch. I’m not proud of the image we projected with those towels. Despite that, the team put in a good performance on the pitch. We respect our opponents and the competition. We are currently assessing the situation and hope that a decision will be made in the interests of football and Africa. I hope we can win, because we deserve it. Because you can’t just walk off the pitch like that.