Senegal Willing to Hand Back AFCON 2025 Medals to Morocco to Ease Diplomatic Strain

Senegalese midfielder Idrissa Gueye has declared that his team rightfully earned their Africa Cup of Nations title but stated he is willing to ‘hand back the medals’ to Morocco if it helps resolve the escalating tensions between the two nations.

Senegal originally secured a 1-0 extra-time victory over Morocco in the final held in Rabat. However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later overturned the result, awarding a 3-0 win and the championship to Morocco as a penalty for Senegal's 15-minute protest walk-off during the match.

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"I personally commit to collecting the medals and maybe giving them back to Morocco if that can ease tensions between the two countries," Gueye told Canal+ following Everton's 3-0 Premier League victory against Chelsea on Saturday.

"It's just ridiculous," he continued. "A football match is won on the pitch, and that's what we did in Morocco. We did what we had to do on the pitch; we won that match. As far as we're concerned, we are the African champions. Titles are won on the pitch, not in offices."

Despite his firm stance on the match's outcome, Gueye, who captained Senegal in the final, expressed disagreement with his football federation's choice to appeal CAF's ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"If it were up to me, I would have told the federation not to appeal," he admitted.

The continental final on January 18 was marred by chaos when the Senegalese team left the field in protest over a controversial penalty awarded to the hosts late in stoppage time.

After a 15-minute delay filled with confusion and high tension, during which some Senegalese fans threw objects and attempted to enter the pitch, play eventually resumed.

Morocco's Brahim Diaz subsequently missed the penalty, and Senegal went on to clinch the victory with a goal from Pape Gueye in extra time, a result that has since been nullified by CAF's disciplinary committee.