Mikel Obi Reacts to CAF’s Decision to Strip Senegal of AFCON 2025 Title
- Super Eagles legend John Obi Mikel has reacted after CAF stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
- CAF Appeal Board, acting on Morocco’s appeal, awarded the Atlas Lions a 3-0 walkover victory for the final
- The Senegalese Football Federation has submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS)
Super Eagles legend John Obi Mikel has reacted after the Confederation of African Football stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.
Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 in the final, which was marred by the Teranga Lions briefly disrupting the match after walking off the pitch to protest the referee’s decision.
Source: Getty Images
Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty minutes after disallowing Senegal's goal, prompting a walkout on Pape Thiaw's order.
Sadio Mane restored order by asking his teammates to return to the pitch. Brahim Diaz missed the penalty, and Pape Gueye scored the winner in extra time.
CAF sanctioned Morocco and Senegal for the incident with fines for federations and suspensions for players and coaches, but the FRMF appealed.
CAF Appeal Board sat on Morocco’s appeal and stripped Senegal of the title, awarding the Atlas Lions a 3-0 walkover victory nearly two months after the match.
Mikel Obi reacts to CAF's decision
Mikel Obi has expressed his dissatisfaction and disappointment with CAF’s decision to strip Senegal of the title 58 days after the final in Rabat, Morocco.
“Horrible, horrible, horrible, I mean, ludicrous, ludicrous decision. I have no idea where that's come from, absolutely zero idea. The incompetence of the people who govern football in Africa,” he said on the Obi One Podcast.
“Morocco hosted an absolutely fantastic tournament. What happened in the final happened, but you shouldn't take away what we saw on the pitch. Absolute disaster of a decision, I don't know where they got it from, 58 days after the tournament.q1
“If you feel that was the case, you had time in the game if there was an article or somewhere written in the law, the referee was there, the CAF President was there, and whoever was in charge of the article was there, why didn't you make the decision right there?”
He added that he doesn't condone what Senegal has done and they must be punished, as he had said when he was on punditry during the final.
“But if you want to make a decision, make it right there. Why wait 58 days after the tournament to make a decision? Where did that come from?” he added.
Source: Getty Images
The AFCON 2013 winner described the decision as politics, and even though he doesn't want to say money was passed around, he described the incident as corruption.
He called for accountability after the incident and added that Senegal were tight to parade their trophy during their friendlies in France.
Senegal appealed the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sports and is confident that the court sitting in Lausanne, Switzerland, will overturn CAF's decision.
Troost-Ekong slams CAF's decision
Legit.ng previously reported that William Troost-Ekong slammed CAF for the decision to strip Senegal of the title and award it to Morocco.
The former Super Eagles captain claimed that the decision will have a negative impact on the image of African football amid the disrespect globally.
Source: Legit.ng
