Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi has made a striking declaration, publicly rejecting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy and insisting that Senegal were the legitimate champions, despite the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board ruling.
Speaking candidly, the Paris Saint-Germain defender said, “My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy. I’m officially rejecting the trophy and hope my teammates do the same. We had a chance to win it, but we failed to win it.”
Hakimi stressed that the principles of fair play should outweigh administrative rulings.
“That’s football, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. Senegal beat us fairly and deserved the win. It will be unfair to ruin their joy after the hard work they put in.”
While acknowledging CAF’s decision, Hakimi maintained that he could not claim a victory not earned on the field.
“I respect the CAF decision, but I’m officially rejecting the trophy. I didn’t win the 2025 AFCON. Congratulations to Senegal once again.”
The statement has reverberated across African football, highlighting the tension between regulatory decisions and outcomes determined on the pitch.
Senegal originally defeated Morocco 1–0 in the final, but CAF later overturned the result following a controversy over a late VAR-related penalty.
The Appeal Board ruled that Senegal’s brief walk-off amounted to abandonment, awarding Morocco the trophy by forfeit.
Hakimi’s refusal to accept the title has been widely hailed as a rare act of sportsmanship, underscoring the belief that trophies hold little value if they do not reflect genuine competition.
