Former England defender Jamie Carragher has strongly criticized the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title. This decision follows controversial events that occurred during the AFCON 2025 final, where Senegal was penalized for walking off the pitch in protest.
Carragher expressed his outrage at the situation, highlighting the injustice of depriving Senegal of its title after the victory celebration. He sarcastically commented: "Wait a minute... so Senegal wins the Africa Cup of Nations final, the crowd is ecstatic, the players lift the trophy, everyone is celebrating and then they announce: 'No, sorry, Morocco is the winner 3-0!' Are you kidding me?".
The former Liverpool player then questioned the value of AFCON as a major tournament, comparing it to European competitions such as the Champions League or the Euro. "That's precisely why I said AFCON wasn't a major tournament. In Europe? In the Champions League final? In the Euro final? That would never happen! We don't hand out medals one day and then say: 'Actually, the other team won.' It's madness!".
CAF justified its decision by invoking Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, arguing that Senegal had violated these rules by leaving the field without the referee's authorization. As a result, Morocco was declared the winner by default with a score of 3-0. The Senegalese Football Federation has announced its intention to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
This case has sparked strong reactions in the football world, with some observers denouncing a dangerous precedent where sporting results are challenged off the field. Carragher concluded by lamenting that "the tournament should come down to what happens on the pitch, not in an office. But no, at AFCON... you can celebrate a trophy today and lose it tomorrow".
