A senior official at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has publicly apologized to Morocco’s national team over the chaotic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, acknowledging that the rules were not properly enforced and that Morocco was treated unfairly.
Samir Sobha, president of the Mauritius Football Association and a member of CAF’s executive committee, told The Guardian that Morocco’s federation deserves an apology.
“I want to plead with the Moroccan FA to forgive us for the injustice done to them. The rules have not been respected as they should have been in this match. They were robbed,” Sobha said.
He argued that Senegal national football team should have faced automatic sanctions after their players walked off the pitch in protest. “It’s clear that after the Senegalese team left the field, all the players should have been sanctioned with a yellow card,” he said, while adding that the trophy should not be withdrawn because “what happened has happened.”
The comments reignite controversy surrounding the January 18 final in Rabat, where Senegal defeated Morocco 1–0 after extra time. The match descended into turmoil late in regulation when Morocco were awarded a penalty following a VAR review. Senegal’s players left the field in protest, causing a 14-minute delay before returning.
When play resumed, Brahim Díaz missed the penalty. Senegal later secured victory in extra time through a 94th-minute goal by Pape Gueye. Reports indicated that captain Sadio Mané played a key role in persuading his teammates to return to the pitch.
CAF condemned the “unacceptable behaviour” during the final and pledged disciplinary action. However, weeks later the sanctions drew criticism from observers who described them as surprisingly lenient. Senegal coach Pape Thiaw received a five-match ban and a $100,000 fine, while the Senegalese federation was fined $615,000. Players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaïla Sarr were handed two-match suspensions.
Morocco was also fined $315,000, and players Achraf Hakimi and Ismaël Saibari received bans for incidents late in the game. Morocco’s appeal to overturn the result was ultimately rejected.
In the same interview, Sobha also criticized CAF’s internal governance. He claimed that Secretary-General Véron Mosengo-Omba is no longer legally in office following the expiration of his contract extension in October 2025.
“As per the statutes, he is occupying the seat illegally right now,” Sobha said, urging CAF president Patrice Motsepe to “rectify this position.”
Although CAF’s disciplinary measures have already been implemented, debate in Morocco continues to intensify, with many arguing that the penalties failed to reflect the severity of the events during the Africa Cup of Nations final.