Senegal players react after being stripped of AFCON title
A host of Senegalese football players have taken to Instagram to react to the news of Senegal being stripped of their 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Board, on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, overturned the Teranga Lions’ win for violating specific articles of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, resulting in a 3-0 forfeit loss to Morocco (FRMF).
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The original decision was overturned after an appeal from the Moroccan FA, confirming them as champions despite the chaos surrounding the final.
Aftermath
The news sent shockwaves across the continent and the football world, sparking widespread reactions. In Morocco, fans took to the streets to celebrate the decision, which effectively secures the country’s maiden continental AFCON title.
Former EPL star Moussa Niakhate and Everton midfielder Idrissa Gana posted cryptic messages in what was a swipe at the CAF decision.
Niakhate’s reaction
On his part, Niakhate, who now plays for French side Olympic Lyonnais, posted a picture of himself with the trophy with the words “for eternity.”
“Pour l’eternite,” his concise statement on his IG page.
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on January 18, 2026, in a match that was overshadowed when the Senegalese players refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.
The drama-filled action came after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, which sparked protest and a walkout from the Senegalese players and members of their technical bench led by head coach Pape Thiaw, attracting heavy fines from CAF.
Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return with a 1-0 victory in extra time
Drama-filled final
Brahim Diaz spurned the highly debated penalty, and Senegal went on to score an extra-time winner through Pape Gueye.
Senegalese star Sadio Mane was among the outspoken players in the aftermath of the strange incident that rocked one of Africa’s most-watched football games.
The captain was the only one to remain and eventually convinced his teammates to return. Mane did not hide his disappointment at the actions of his manager and teammates, explaining why he pushed them to return:
“Football is something special; the world was watching, the world loves football, and I think football is a pleasure, so we have to give a good image for football.”
