Liverpool Legend Slams CAF Over Controversial AFCON 2025 Title Decision: 'Honestly, A Joke!'

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has reacted to the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final decision, in which Senegal were ruled to have forfeited, and Morocco were awarded a 3–0 victory by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The high-profile case, which has been under scrutiny for months, was finally resolved when the Confederation of African Football confirmed its ruling in favour of Morocco.

"It is declared that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), through the conduct of its team, infringed Article 82… In application of Article 84… the Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF)," CAF stated in their statement.

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Jamie Carragher expressed disbelief and frustration over the ruling that awarded Morocco the 2025 AFCON title despite Senegal celebrating a win on the day.

He highlighted how extraordinary it was for a team to have its victory overturned after the trophy had already been lifted and the crowd had celebrated, emphasising that such a situation would be unthinkable in major European competitions like the Champions League or the European Championship.

Jamie Carragher criticised the decision as chaotic and undermining the integrity of the tournament, saying it was a level of confusion and unfairness that had no place in football.

“Right, hold on a minute… so Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations final, the crowd’s going wild, the players are lifting the trophy, and everyone’s celebrating and now they’ve been told, ‘No, sorry, Morocco are the winners 3–0!’ Are you having a laugh?” he said as per Everything Soccer.

"I mean, this is exactly why I said the AFCON isn’t a major tournament. In Europe? In a Champions League final? In a Euros final? This would never, ever happen! You don’t hand out medals one day and then say, ‘Actually, change of plan the other team wins.’ Madness!”

Jamie Carragher went on to describe the chaos he imagined in the Senegal dressing room, picturing players in tears and Morocco’s squad left bewildered, questioning who should actually hold the trophy.

He condemned the situation as farcical, arguing that football competitions should be decided on the field rather than in an office, and stressed that in Europe, such a reversal of a result after celebrations would be completely unacceptable.

He reiterated that the way AFCON handled the situation was laughable and undermined the credibility of the tournament.

"And can you imagine the scenes in the dressing room? Senegal players crying, Morocco players confused… who’s holding the trophy now? This is football or is it Monopoly?!” he added.

"Honestly, it’s a joke. The whole tournament should be about what happens on the pitch, not in some office behind a desk. But no, in AFCON… you can celebrate a trophy today and lose it tomorrow. That’s why I’ve always said it in Europe, this would never fly. Never!”

Meanwhile, Senegal has confirmed that it plans to challenge the decision by taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), signalling its determination to contest the ruling and seek a resolution through the highest authority in international sports law.