Following the ruling that saw Senegal forfeit their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, Jamie Carragher has voiced strong criticism, citing the incident as the exact reason why he believes the tournament struggles to be viewed as a major global competition.
The former Liverpool defender argued that the administrative reversal of a final result undermines the integrity of the sport.
According to the sports commentator, the situation is "madness" and would be unthinkable in the Champions League or the Euros. Carragher stated, “You don't hand out medals one day and then say, ‘Actually, change of plan the other team wins.’ This is exactly why I said the AFCON isn't a major tournament. In Europe? This would never, ever happen!” He further questioned the logic of the decision-making process, asking if the sport was "football or is it Monopoly," while emphasizing that trophies should be won on the pitch rather than in an office.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) maintains that the 3-0 victory awarded to Morocco is a result of strict adherence to tournament regulations following Senegal’s conduct during the final. While Morocco has been officially recognized as the 2025 champions, the Senegalese Football Federation is expected to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.