Former President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, has called out executives of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for stripping Senegal of the AFCON 2025 title following its triumph over Morocco in the grand finale in January.
He described the decision as a “dangerous precedent” that threatens the integrity of the competition and sports in general on the continent.
On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the CAF Appeal Board ruled to award a 3-0 victory to the Morocco national football team in connection with the team’s initial walkout after a controversial penalty was awarded to the host, Morocco.
Reacting to the decision, Mr. Nyantakyi questioned its legal foundation, arguing that CAF misapplied Articles 82 and 83 of its Disciplinary Code.
“We woke up to a decision that has rippled across the continent, igniting debate and raising eyebrows. The decision to reverse the outcome of the AFCON 2025 is an assault on the integrity of the game,” he stated.
The former CAF executive faulted the ruling on three main grounds, beginning with what he described as a “misconception, misinterpretation and misapplication” of Articles 82 and 83 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
According to him, those provisions are general in nature and should only apply where no specific regulations exist. He insisted that more relevant rules, particularly Articles 88 to 106, were overlooked despite clearly outlining offences and sanctions.
He cited that incidents such as player protests or temporary walkouts do not constitute serious misconduct unless they result in the abandonment of a match, further referencing Law 5 of the Game, which states that the referee has final authority over the outcome of a match.
“The referee is the judge of facts. It was clear that the match was brought to an end by the referee. Any contrary finding has no basis in the laws of the game,” Mr. Nyantakyi noted, emphasizing that the decision potentially dents the credibility of African football.
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