Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi has officially rejected the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title awarded to his team by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
This was a stunning display of sportsmanship that has sent shockwaves through the African football community.
The Paris Saint-Germain star declared on Saturday that neither he nor his teammates would accept a trophy they did not win on the pitch, despite a CAF ruling that stripped Senegal of their victory. 
The controversy stems from the AFCON 2025 final held in Rabat in January, where Senegal defeated the hosts 1–0. However, earlier this week, the CAF Appeal Board overturned the result, awarding Morocco a 3–0 default win. CAF cited Senegal’s brief 15-minute walk-off during stoppage time—a protest against a controversial penalty—as a “forfeiture” under Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations.
Breaking his silence on the matter, Hakimi took a firm stand against the boardroom decision.
I respect the CAF decision, but I am officially rejecting the trophy. I didn’t win 2025 AFCON,” Hakimi said.
“Senegal beat us fairly and deserved it. It would be unfair to ruin their joy after all their hard work.”
The defender further revealed that his decision was influenced by a personal moral compass. “My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy. I am officially rejecting it and hope my teammates do the same. We had our chance on the field, but we failed to win.”
The match in January was marred by tension. In the dying minutes of regulation time, Senegal staged a walk-out after a penalty was awarded to Morocco for a foul that replays suggested was minimal.
Though the Teranga Lions eventually returned to the pitch—led by the urging of Sadio Mané—and their goalkeeper Édouard Mendy saved the subsequent “Panenka” penalty from Brahim Diaz, the damage in the eyes of CAF was done. Senegal went on to score the winner in extra time, but the governing body’s appeals board ruled that the initial walk-off constituted an abandoned match.
While the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) initially pushed for the application of the rules, Hakimi’s personal stance has shifted the narrative toward “sporting integrity” over “technical victory.”
In Dakar, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has already labeled the CAF ruling a “travesty” and a “shame for Africa.” They have confirmed plans to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
