Captain of the Morocco national football team, Achraf Hakimi, has publicly rejected the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title despite a ruling by the Confederation of African Football awarding the trophy to Morocco.
The Paris Saint-Germain defender made his position clear following Morocco’s defeat to the Senegal national football team in the final, insisting that his side did not earn the title on the pitch.
“My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy. I’m officially rejecting the trophy and hope my teammates do the same. We had a chance to win it but we failed to win it,” Hakimi said.
He acknowledged Senegal’s performance, maintaining that the West African side were deserving winners and warning against any move that could diminish their achievement.
“That’s football, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Senegal beat us fairly and deserved the win. It will be unfair to ruin their joy after the hardwork they put in,” he added.
While expressing respect for CAF’s decision, Hakimi reiterated his personal stance against accepting the honour.
“I respect the CAF decision but I’m officially rejecting the trophy. I didn’t win 2025 AFCON. Congratulations to Senegal once again,” he said.
His remarks come after the CAF Appeal Board overturned the original 1-0 victory recorded by Senegal in the final, ruling that the team forfeited the match following a walk-off during the game. The decision, based on Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations, saw the result amended to a 3-0 win in favour of Morocco.
Despite the administrative ruling, Hakimi’s comments underline a rare position in international football, with the player prioritising sporting integrity over official recognition.
The Senegalese Football Federation has since indicated its intention to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Morocco entered the tournament as one of the favourites but fell short in the final, while Senegal’s performance has continued to be widely regarded as a deserved triumph despite the controversy surrounding the outcome.
