Former French international Patrice Evra has voiced his strong disapproval following the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to strip Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) title. The decision, which came on March 17, 2026, sent shockwaves through the African football community, especially since it occurred after Senegal's victory over Morocco (1-0 after extra time) in the final on January 18, 2025.
"It's a disgrace to African football. A scandal. We all saw with our own eyes that Senegal won," Evra declared, visibly angered by the situation.
CAF justifies its decision by citing Article 82 of the regulations, following a temporary walk-off by Senegalese players during the final. This justification has failed to convince Patrice Evra, who also questions the referee's role during the match: "But I ask myself a question: why is nobody talking about this referee? Where is this referee? What has become of this referee?".
The former defender did not hesitate to address Moroccan fans, emphasizing his affection for them while urging them to be reasonable: "My Moroccan brothers, I like you a lot, but at some point, you have to stop taking advantage, guys. The Africa Cup has really lost all its credibility," he stated.
For Patrice Evra, there is no doubt that Senegal is the true champion of this edition: "When I saw the information, I thought it was an April Fool's joke. The real champions are Senegal, and they will remain Senegal," he insisted, calling on the governing bodies of African football to act to preserve the integrity of the competitions. The controversy continues to grow, casting a shadow over the image of African football.
This affair comes at a time when the integrity of sports competitions is increasingly under scrutiny. Governing bodies are constantly called upon to guarantee the fairness and transparency of decisions in order to maintain the trust of the public and the players involved. The CAN 2025 case could serve as an example to strengthen control and sanction mechanisms to avoid such entanglements in the future.
