Former Liverpool defender and pundit Jamie Carragher has delivered a scathing reaction following the controversial ruling that stripped the Senegal national football team of their Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded a 3–0 victory to the Morocco national football team.
Carragher’s remarks come after CAF’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal forfeited the final due to a temporary walk-off in protest of a late penalty decision, despite returning to complete the match and originally winning 1–0 after extra time.
Reacting to the unprecedented reversal, Carragher questioned both the decision and its implications for the tournament’s credibility.
“Right, hold on a minute… so Senegal win the final, lift the trophy, celebrate, and now they’re told Morocco are the winners 3–0? Are you having a laugh?” he said.
The former England international used the situation to revisit his long-standing criticism of AFCON, arguing that such a post-match administrative reversal would be unthinkable in European competitions.
“In a Champions League final or a Euros final, this would never happen. You don’t hand out medals and then change the result later. Madness,” he added.
The ruling, triggered by Morocco’s successful appeal citing breaches of tournament regulations, has triggered widespread backlash across the football world, with Senegal set to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Carragher also highlighted the emotional toll such a decision could have on players.
“Can you imagine the dressing room? Senegal players devastated, Morocco players confused… who’s holding the trophy now?” he said. “This is football or is it Monopoly?”
The incident has been described as one of the most controversial conclusions to a major international tournament, raising fresh questions about governance and disciplinary consistency in global football.
Despite the backlash, CAF maintains that the decision was based strictly on regulations, which state that a team leaving the pitch without authorization can forfeit the match, leading to the official 3–0 result in favour of Morocco.
Carragher concluded by doubling down on his stance:
“The game should be decided on the pitch, not behind a desk. That’s why this would never fly in Europe.”
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