Joseph Antoine Bell, a football consultant at Radio France Internationale, has reacted to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeal board's decision regarding the controversial final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025. According to him, CAF's decision to declare Morocco the winner respects the law, although morality and fair play were flouted.
Bell stated he was half surprised by the decision, expressing more astonishment at those who are commenting on the matter late. He recalled that the CAF authorities did not act on their own initiative but were seized by football stakeholders, in accordance with established procedures. The former goalkeeper insisted that the time to be outraged was during the final when the Senegal team left the field in protest.
"It was on that day that we should have been outraged by the first action that took place: that of leaving the field," Bell said. He stressed that those who argued at the time that Senegal was right to leave the field must now measure the consequences of that act, which is provided for in CAF's regulations. He recalled describing this act as anachronistic, pointing out that it is now established that a team that leaves the field loses the match.
Bell nuanced his remarks by pointing out that while the law was respected, morality and fair play were undermined by both opponents. He blamed the Senegalese for not respecting a decision by the referee, which led to the agitation of their supporters and acts of vandalism in the stands. He also felt that Morocco was not blameless, as everyone wanted to save the final that day, which led the referee to be a little complacent.
The case dates back to the AFCON 2025 final, where Senegalese players left the field to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco in the final minutes of regulation time. After a break of more than 15 minutes, play resumed, the penalty was missed, and Senegal eventually won the match in extra time. However, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) appealed, challenging the outcome of the match due to the interruption.
The CAF Appeal Board ultimately sided with Morocco, overturning the initial disciplinary decision and declaring Senegal forfeited, with a 3-0 victory for Morocco. This decision has sparked controversy, with the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) rejecting the verdict and announcing its intention to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Despite potential criticism of CAF, Bell calls for clarity, stressing that decisions must be made on the basis of facts and regulations, not on emotions or prejudices. CAF also fined the FRMF $10,000 for incidents related to the use of lasers and interference in the VAR review area.
