Mehdi Benatia says the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title has been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the final between Morocco and Senegal.
The former Morocco captain, who played for Bayern Munich, Juventus and Roma and is now a Canal+ pundit, was speaking to Bertrand Latour on a Canal+ video programme, according to Footmercato.
Senegal originally won the match 1-0 after extra time, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal after Brahim Diaz had missed a penalty.
However, the game was interrupted when Senegal’s players temporarily left the pitch in protest at the referee’s decisions. They later returned and the match was completed.
At the request of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the CAF Appeals Committee overturned the result in March this year. It ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match and recorded a 3-0 win for Morocco, formally awarding the trophy to the Atlas Lions.
The committee based its decision on regulations stating that leaving the field, even if the team subsequently resumes play, constitutes a forfeiture when there are no longer enough players on the pitch.
Senegal Football Federation has appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) in Lausanne. A final ruling is expected before the end of November.
Benatia said the dispute had damaged the significance of Morocco’s achievement, despite the team’s performances during the tournament.
“I watched that final, and it was a very balanced game. Morocco had a great Africa Cup of Nations, and Senegal gave them a lot of trouble, but it’s sad for Moroccan football that in the end, they still have to ask ‘who won, who didn’t.’ You’d think this kind of thing only happens in Africa.
“My biggest disappointment is that everything was arranged so well, but it still ended up like this. I have friends who participated in the Africa Cup of Nations who told me: ‘Your country is amazing, everything is well-organized, the weather is great, and the stadiums and hotels are excellent.’ But then this happened…
“However, if you look at the rules, which I don’t really understand, they do state: if you leave the field and there are no longer enough players on the field, it’s a forfeiture. So the fault lies with the referees and match officials for not making that decision.
“Then you decide to come back, continue the game, and finish the match, which also means you accept everything that happened… I don’t know who will make the final decision, but this whole thing is a mess.
“In any case, this championship will never have the same taste. It’s like Manchester City: if you take away all their titles, they would also say, ‘We won them on the field.’”
