Former England captain Wayne Rooney has strongly criticised the Confederation of African Football over its decision to overturn the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final result and award the title to Morocco, describing the ruling as “crazy.”
The controversy centres on the AFCON final played in Rabat on January 18, 2026, where Senegal national football team initially defeated Morocco national football team 1–0 after extra time. However, on March 17, 2026, CAF’s Appeals Board reversed the outcome, declaring Morocco 3–0 winners by forfeit.
The decision was based on a 17-minute walk-off by Senegal players during the match in protest of a late penalty awarded to the hosts, which CAF ruled as a breach of competition regulations.
Reacting to the ruling, Rooney questioned the fairness of overturning a result that had been settled on the pitch, insisting Senegal deserved the title.
“It’s crazy. If I was a Morocco player, I wouldn’t accept it,” Rooney said, adding that the outcome should reflect what happened during the match itself.
He further pointed out that despite the disruption, the game resumed, the penalty was missed, and Senegal went on to score the decisive goal in open play, reinforcing his belief that the original result should stand.
The Fédération Sénégalaise de Football has also strongly rejected the ruling, describing it as “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” and has confirmed plans to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The federation maintains that since the referee allowed the match to continue and conclude normally, the outcome achieved on the field should remain valid, setting the stage for a high-profile legal battle over one of African football’s most controversial decisions.
