Africa Cup of Nations 2025: Mustapha Hadji defends Morocco's walkover victory ahead of CAS ruling

The verdict on the identity of the 2025 African champion has still not been delivered, nine months after an explosive final between Morocco and Senegal in Rabat. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seized by the Senegalese federation, will not rule until the end of November, with its three arbiters still deliberating.

The saga began on January 18, 2026: Senegal had won 1-0 after extra time, thanks to a goal from Pape Gueye, but several Senegalese players left the pitch at the 90+8 minute mark, at the request of their coach, after a penalty was awarded to Brahim Diaz. Captain Sadio Mané then went to fetch them from the dressing room, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala ordered the match to resume, and Diaz ultimately missed his panenka attempt. On March 17, the CAF appeals jury ruled in Morocco’s favor by walkover, deeming the abandonment of the pitch a clear violation.

It is in this context that Mustapha Hadji, who earned 64 caps with the Atlas Lions between 1993 and 2002 and won the African Ballon d’Or in 1998, has taken an unambiguous stance. “Morocco committed no fault, while the Senegalese players left the pitch. The law therefore says that Morocco has the right to claim the Africa Cup,” he told Arab media outlet Kooora.

The former midfielder also dismisses any accusation of an illegitimate victory: “We did not steal the Cup. We won it according to the regulations and the events that took place on the pitch.” The trophy is currently still held by the Senegalese federation, which presented it to the people the day after the initial triumph in Rabat.

The CAS decision, which CAF has committed to respecting, will therefore be decisive. It must resolve an unprecedented situation: a match officially concluded on the pitch, a result overturned on appeal, and two nations claiming the same continental title.