South Africa coach Hugo Broos has slammed the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the delay in deciding the outcome of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, calling the two-month wait “painful” for Senegal.
Senegal had initially defeated Morocco 1-0 in extra time in the final held in Rabat.
The match was overshadowed when Senegalese players walked off the pitch for 17 minutes after a stoppage-time penalty was awarded to Morocco.
Despite missing the penalty, Senegal went on to score through Pape Gueye and appeared to have claimed the trophy.
CAF’s Appeals Board then overturned the result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory.
Senegal was deemed to have violated tournament regulations, triggering automatic forfeiture under Articles 82 and 84 of the competition rules.
The Senegalese Football Federation has condemned the ruling as “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable” and confirmed plans to appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Broos acknowledged that the regulations supported CAF’s position but questioned why the decision was not applied sooner.
“The only thing is why you don’t do it earlier, why you wait two months?” he asked. “You don’t even have to wait for a complaint. If it’s a rule, apply it immediately.”
“The only thing I can say is that CAF shows again that there is no consistency in their decisions,” he said
“It’s very painful for Senegal to lose that cup. But there is a rule. If you leave the pitch, it’s forfeit. Done.”
Broos highlighted previous disciplinary issues to illustrate inconsistencies in CAF enforcement, citing South Africa’s points deduction over fielding an ineligible player months after the infraction occurred.
“There is also a rule when you select a player with two yellow cards. You must complain immediately and send it within 24 hours,” he said.
“That didn’t happen, and six months later they deducted points. Even the rules said what had to be done.”
He emphasised that decisions must be applied uniformly to maintain credibility in African football.
“You have to be consistent in what you decide. Not for one situation doing this and for another doing something else,” he added.
Despite the controversy, Broos accepted the official outcome, acknowledging the emotional toll on the Senegalese team. “It’s very painful. But now, Morocco has the cup,” he concluded.
The delay in CAF’s ruling has reignited debates over governance, fairness, and the timing of disciplinary decisions in African football, casting a spotlight on the need for swifter action in future tournaments
