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Rabat – Senegalese football player Pape Gueye continues his allegations that Senegal’s documented walk-off during the chaotic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on January 18 is an “interruption.”
Gueye made his new claims in an interview with L’Equipe, where he also reiterated his reluctance to return his medal to Morocco, the legitimate African champion.
“Yes, of course, because we are the African champions, quite simply… We managed to win that final on the field; the whole world saw it. There were those incidents, the interruption, but the match resumed,” he claimed.
What the Senegalese player described as “incidents” are seen and interpreted by observers and many among the international community as a highly controversial sequence of events, breaching the tournament’s regulations.
Following a legitimate penalty awarded to Morocco, Senegalese players and coach were involved in acts breaching the tournament law, including Articles 82 and 84.
Senegal’s team escalated tension on the pitch, culminating in a walk-off triggered on the instruction of coach Pape Thiaw.
The controversial scenes also fueled a volatile atmosphere, causing panic among Moroccan players and fans, resulting in a stoppage time of over 15 minutes; changing the course of the tournament and causing disorder– overshadowing the closing moments of the tournament.
Yet, Gueye stated the medals are with the Senegalese team, alleging that remarks made by his teammate Idrissa Gueye, who had recently said he is ready to return his medal, if it would ease tensions.
“I told him that I wasn’t ready to return my medal. The whole world knows very well that the trophy was won by Senegal.”
In March, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruled in favor of Morocco’s appeal against Senegal’s walk-off, acknowledging Senegal had breached AFCON’s regulations and declared the Atlas Lions as Africa’s champions.
Senegal sensationalized the news, politicized the tournament, and threatened to take all legal measures to uphold the title.
In response to CAF’s decision, Senegal took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, also known as CAS.
Morocco, however, maintains that it has clear and documented proof that Senegal breached the tournament regulations.
“Morocco has strong and documented arguments regarding what happened in the final,” Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), said in a recent interview.
“All elements of the incident were recorded precisely, through official reports and video footage, in full respect of the regulations,” he added.
