Jamie Carragher has called AFCON a “joke” after CAF stripped Senegal of the 2025 title and officially awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory instead.
The decision has shifted the narrative of the final away from the result on the pitch and into the rulebook.
It has also triggered a strong reaction from Carragher, who questioned how a major tournament could end this way.
Jamie Carragher reacts to AFCON title decision
Jamie Carragher reacted to CAF’s decision to strip Senegal of the AFCON title, focusing on the confusion created by overturning a final result after full-time.
“Can you imagine the scenes in the dressing room? Senegal players crying, Morocco players confused… who’s holding the trophy now? This is football or is it Monopoly?!” Carragher said.
CAF ruled that Senegal forfeited the match after its players left the pitch during extra time, applying Articles 82 and 84 to record the result as a 3-0 win for Morocco.
That sequence, a completed match followed by a reversal, is what drives Carragher’s reaction more than the decision itself.
CAF Senegal AFCON ruling sparks wider criticism
The controversy has quickly moved beyond the final result and into how major tournaments are governed when incidents occur during matches.
“Honestly, it’s a joke. The whole tournament should be about what happens on the pitch, not in some office behind a desk.
“But no, in AFCON… you can celebrate a trophy today and lose it tomorrow. That’s why I’ve always said it in Europe, this would never fly. Never!” Carragher added.
Carragher’s argument is straightforward: once a final is decided, changing it after the fact undermines the competition’s credibility.
CAF’s ruling instead prioritised regulatory enforcement, meaning Senegal’s on-field win no longer defines the outcome of the tournament.
The result stands as a 3-0 forfeit, with Morocco officially recognised as champions despite what happened during the match itself.
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