Adepoju, Mido Slam CAF Over AFCON Title 'Joke'

CAF slammed for stripping Senegal of AFCON title

Former Real Madrid player Mutiu Adepoju and ex-Tottenham Hotspur star Ahmed Mido criticize CAF's decision to strip Senegal of AFCON title and award it to Morocco, calling it 'unfair' and 'a joke.'

Senegal appeals CAF's decision to strip them of AFCON title, calling it 'unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable...'

African football legends Mutiu Adepoju and Ahmed Mido are blasting the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for stripping Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and awarding it to Morocco. The controversy stems from the January 18 final, where Senegal walked off the pitch in protest after Morocco was awarded a stoppage-time penalty, only to return and win 1-0 in extra time.

Adepoju called CAF's decision “a real joke” and “the biggest scandal in football history,” while Mido slammed CAF, saying “Africa deserves better,” and calling for a revolution in African football. Senegal has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Dramatic Twist

The West Africans returned after a 15-minute delay, Brahim Diaz's penalty was saved, and Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner. But fate had another turn: the result was overturned by an appeal board at African football's governing body.

A statement from CAF said Senegal had been “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour" of Morocco.

The body added that “through the conduct of its team” Senegal infringed on Article 82 of regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations and, as a result, Article 84 became applicable.

Former Egypt star Ahmed Mido has strongly criticized the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over their decision to strip Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco. Mido described CAF's decision as “the biggest scandal in football history” and called for a revolution in African football, saying “all these people must go, and today, not tomorrow.”

Mido emphasized that Senegal was the better team in the final and deserved to be champions, stating “You lost on the pitch. Senegal were the better team in the final, they deserve to be champions of Africa. It's clear, simple, and you all know it.”

The controversy stems from Senegal's walk-off protest during the final against Morocco, which led to CAF's Appeal Board ruling that Senegal had forfeited the match. Senegal has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) .

"CAF is a real joke! I have been saying this for years. I have been even saying that most of the African legends who are involved/attending all the CAF events/meetings are clowns,” the former Spurs star wrote.

“The decision to take away the cup from Senegal and hand it to #Morocco is the biggest scandal in the history of football a decision that simply will divide Africa.

“Well done to Motsepe, you made us all look like some of the western world wants us to look like. We look now like idiots, backwards and corrupted continent.

“Africa deserves better. There must be a revolution in African football. All these people must go and today not tomorrow. 

“I’m not here against Morocco I love Morocco and I love Moroccans and I have a lot of Moroccan friends who I really love and respect but come on guys this is gone too far.

“You lost on the pitch but Senegal were the better team at the final they deserve to be the champions of Africa.

“It’s clear simple and you all know it, I really wanted congratulate my Moroccan friends but I can’t congratulate you on something you won at the office and not on the pitch.”

Mutiu Adepoju, LaLiga ambassador and former Nigeria international, slammed CAF's decision, saying it's “a real joke” and “the biggest scandal in football history.” He emphasized that the decision undermines African football's credibility.

“The decision is not good. It’s not good for the image and all that,” he told Footy Africa

“If a decision is going to be taken, it should have been taken a long time ago, not at the moment, not after two months. That’s just the issue that I’m having.

“I think all those back and forth shouldn’t have been. I was surprised. Why did it take this long if this is what the rules are supposed to be?

“I don’t know what Morocco is going to do now. Are they going to celebrate it? And what about the celebration that Senegal has done?”

Senegal is fighting back against the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to strip them of their Africa Cup of Nations title. The Senegalese Football Federation has confirmed it will appeal the “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”),…

— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) March 17, 2026

The federation's president, Abdoulaye Fall, stated that Senegal “will remain standing and will legitimately defend this victory on the field, which we acquired on the field with the talent of our players.”