Samir Sobha, a senior official with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has sparked new controversy by saying Morocco got “robbed” in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against the Senegal national football team.
Sobha, who’s on the CAF executive committee, told The Guardian that the competition rules weren’t properly followed during the final on January 18 in Rabat.
The match was stopped for more than 15 minutes because Senegal threatened to walk off the field after referee Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo made some calls they disagreed with.
Morocco got a late penalty after the VAR review, but Edouard Mendy managed to save Brahim Diaz’s shot as Senegal ended up winning 1-0 and taking home the trophy.
CAF later handed down sanctions, suspending Senegal coach Pape Thiaw and fining both federations. Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi received a two-match ban.
Sobha said that Morocco was treated unfairly, even though the result couldn’t be changed. This loss means the Atlas Lions have now gone 50 years without winning a second AFCON title since their last victory in 1976.
