Lakja breaks the silence in Morocco: I have irrefutable evidence confirming the legitimacy of the CAN title

Following weeks of legal and media controversy sparked by the events surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, the Moroccan Football Federation has broken its official silence to reaffirm its claim to the continental title, citing documents and recordings it describes as “conclusive”.

Fouzi Lekjaâ, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, said in comments last Thursday reported by the “Foot Mercato” network: “Morocco has convincing and documented evidence; all elements relating to the incident are accurately documented, whether through official reports or video recordings, in full compliance with the applicable laws.”

Lakjaa added: “The Senegalese team’s withdrawal has been officially confirmed, based on the match referee’s report, as well as the existence of recordings documenting the moment of withdrawal and the circumstances surrounding it.”

He went on to explain: “Confirmation of Senegal’s withdrawal is subject to the requirements of Article 84 of the Confederation of African Football’s Disciplinary Code, which is the legal text adopted by the Confederation to confirm Morocco’s victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.”

Lakjaa explained that Morocco agreed to continue the match despite the Senegalese players leaving the pitch, as refusing to resume play would have exposed the Moroccan team to disciplinary action.

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Presidential decision reignites Africa Cup of Nations title row between Senegal and Morocco

Despite CAF’s decision… Morocco refuses to follow Senegal’s lead in the Africa Cup of Nations title dispute

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, held in Rabat between Morocco and Senegal, was marked by dramatic and controversial scenes.

Senegal had taken the lead in extra time, but the referee awarded Morocco a penalty in the final minutes of normal time after consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

The Senegalese protested vehemently against the decision, prompting their manager to ask the players to leave the pitch for several minutes.

The players returned following an intervention by captain Sadio Mané, and Brahim Diaz missed the penalty, with the match ending in a 1-0 victory for Senegal. Approximately two months after the match, the Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) accepted the appeal lodged by the Moroccan Football Federation.

The committee decided to rule that the Senegalese national team had withdrawn from the match, to award Morocco a 3–0 victory, and to officially grant Morocco the tournament title, in accordance with Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations.

For its part, the Senegalese Football Federation announced its rejection of the decision and filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, describing the decision as “unfair and unprecedented”.

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