Senegal international Idrissa Gana Gueye has delivered an emotional message in the wake of the AFCON 2025 controversy, insisting that no decision can erase what the team experienced on the night in Rabat, while emphasizing that pride, dignity, and the safety of the supporters matter more than titles.
The Teranga Lions’ AFCON 2025 success in the North African country was annulled on Tuesday night, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeals jury awarding Morocco a 3-09 victory, months after the tournament.
In a landmark ruling, CAF asserted the Senegal team constituted a breach of the competition’s regulations. As a result, the Federation Senegalaise de Football (FSF) was found to have infringed Article 82, leading to the forfeiture of the match under Article 84.
The decision stems from dramatic scenes during the final, when Senegal players walked off the pitch for over 17 minutes in protest against a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
Following Sadio Mane’s intervention, the Teranga Lions returned to the pitch for the continuation of the match and subsequently prevailed with a narrow win through Pape Gueye after Brahim Diaz had missed the penalty that had triggered the protest.
“Titles, trophies, medals… all of that is fleeting. What truly matters is that every supporter can return home and be with their family. The Senegalese people have shown their true character: dignified in victory, dignified in adversity. That is Teranga. We know what we experienced that night in Rabat. And that, no one can take away from us, God willing,” he wrote, along with a photo from the trophy presentation on January 18th in Rabat.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese Football Federation has strongly rejected CAF decision to strip them off the title, while threatening to contest the case at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
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