CAF, Senegal & Morocco 2026: Football matches are won on the pitch, not in boardrooms - By Uzoma Ahamefule

History is on the verge of being rewritten in African football, but not because CAF has witnessed a new all-time leading goalscorer, nor because a player has surpassed Roger Milla's iconic record as the oldest African to feature at a FIFA World Cup. Instead, it is because of a controversial boardroom decision that could strip Senegal of a title they deservedly won on the pitch – defeating Morocco 1:0 in the last edition of AFCON 2026 hosted also by Morocco.

Africa cannot continue to be on the wrong side of history. If this questionable decision stands, it will sadly mark one of the most contentious moments in African football history – a very shameful and dangerous precedent. For many observers, removing a championship won through competition and awarding it through administrative proceedings undermines the principle that football matches should be decided on the field, not in courtrooms or boardrooms.

In Football, FIFA, which is the world governing football, made it unambiguous that referees’ decisions are final. In a situation where referees make bad decisions, like giving red cards or penalizing a player wrongly, that can be reviewed with the intent of doing the right thing.

If CAF President, his executives and the disciplinary committee members think that what Senegal did by walking out of the pitch was so bad and that it deserves a heavy punishment the action to take is not stripping them the tittle they won on the pitch, but by giving them a heavy fine or banning them for a long time or both. But to take the title away from them should be unthinkable.

Again, if there should be anyone to blame, it should be the referee who allowed the match to continue after the Senegal’s team walked out of the pitch. Justice demands that since the referee allowed the match to be continued till the end, his final whistle stamped Senegal African Champion. It should not be debatable. Taking the title away from Senegal will not be fair.

We must not forget that in 1986 quarter final match between England and Argentina, Diego Amando Maradona scored a famous goal with his hand. After the match he described the goal as, “The hands of God”. By then we did not have VAR, but everyone knew that he had cheated, but FIFA did not cancel the match or award it to England because the referee had taken his decision. Decisions of referees of who wins matches have never been changed after final whistle unless in obvious circumstances – like when a team features an ineligible player. But that is not the case here.

Is there any other interest beyond what we know? Africa’s dignity in football must be restored by declaring Senegal the AFCON Champion 2026 that they were.

Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen, and a refined African traditionalist, writes from Vienna, Austria.

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