CAN-2025 : La CAF réussit la “panenka” pour le Maroc
There are decisions that settle the matter and others that cause lasting disruption. The one handed down by the Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) clearly belongs to the latter category. By declaring Morocco the winner of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations by default, the governing body of African football has transformed an already chaotic final into a major crisis of credibility.
On the pitch, the outcome was clear-cut, despite a tense finish – marked by a disallowed Senegalese goal, a penalty awarded to Morocco, then saved by Édouard Mendy on a daring attempt by Brahim Diaz – Senegal ultimately prevailed in extra time. A hard-fought victory, at the end of an electrifying match, but one that was ultimately justified by the quality of play.
It is precisely this sporting truth that the CAF has just overturned. Relying on its regulations, particularly articles 82 and 84, the Appeals Committee prioritized a legal interpretation over the reality on the ground. This decision, while defensible from a strictly regulatory standpoint, raises profound questions about the very meaning of competition.
Because beyond this specific case, a fundamental principle is faltering: the primacy of the game. Can we, weeks after the final whistle, rewrite the history of such a decisive match? To this question, the CAF answers in the affirmative. But at what cost?
The incidents during that final had already led to heavy sanctions against the Senegalese federation, its coaching staff, and certain players, as well as the Moroccan side. These measures aimed to preserve order and ethics. However, the current decision gives the opposite impression: one of persistent confusion, even institutional inconsistency.
Implicitly, this case highlights the weaknesses of the African football governance system. The gap between the initial disciplinary decisions and their review on appeal fuels a doubt that the CAF is still struggling to dispel: that of an unstable sporting justice system, subject to interpretation.
The image of the "Panenka" penalty is stark, yet telling. On the pitch, Brahim Diaz's attempt, abruptly halted, symbolized a poorly calculated risk. Off the pitch, the CAF seems to have attempted its own institutional "Panenka." A bold, spectacular decision… but one that could well backfire.
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