Shocking details emerge as controversy around AFCON 2025 final escalates
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final remains at the heart of a major scandal. Despite Senegal's on-field victory, the title was ultimately awarded to Morocco—and new revelations are only intensifying the tension surrounding this decision.
According to Le Monde, which gained access to official reports, Morocco's appeal includes explosive statements allegedly made by CAF referees' committee head Olivier Safari. The reports suggest possible pressure was exerted on the final's referee, Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo.
The pivotal moment came during a 12-minute break, when Senegal's players left the pitch for the dressing room. This incident became the basis for disciplinary proceedings and the subsequent verdict.
Documents submitted by the Moroccan Football Federation's general secretary, Tarik Najeh, claim that at a CAF executive committee meeting on February 13 in Dar es Salaam, Safari admitted the referee was instructed during the break not to show yellow cards to Senegalese players in order to avoid send-offs and "preserve the match" after they returned to the field.
This episode has raised serious concerns about possible interference in refereeing decisions. While Senegalese players, including Sadio Mané, were not punished during the match, CAF disciplinary authorities later imposed severe sanctions that led to the result being overturned.
To recap, the decisive match took place on January 18 in Rabat and ended with Senegal winning 1-0 after extra time. However, on March 17, CAF's appeals committee reviewed the outcome and awarded Morocco a technical victory. The decision was based on the regulations—any team leaving the field before the final whistle is automatically considered to have forfeited.
Currently, the Senegalese side has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, challenging the confederation's decision. The final verdict is yet to be delivered, but already the AFCON 2025 final is on track to go down in history as one of the most controversial episodes in African football.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
