Hakimi rejects AFCON title, insists Senegal deserved victory

MOROCCO captain Achraf Hakimi has publicly distanced himself from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, maintaining that his side did not earn the honour following their defeat in the final.

The Morocco national football team skipper made it clear that he would not accept the trophy under any circumstances, even if awarded by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). His position comes amid controversy surrounding reports that Morocco could be declared champions despite losing the final.

CAF announced the decision on Tuesday evening to crown Morocco champions two months after the acrimonious conclusion to the tournament. The decision was predicated on walk-out incident by the Senegal team during the final.

Hakimi, who plays club football for Paris Saint-Germain, revealed that his decision was influenced by a personal conversation with his mother, who urged him to stand by fairness and reject the title.

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“My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy. I’m officially rejecting it and I hope my teammates do the same. We had our chance, but we didn’t win,” he said.

Morocco were beaten in the final by the Senegal national football team, a result Hakimi believes should stand without dispute. He emphasised that Senegal earned their victory on merit and warned against any move that could diminish their achievement.

“That’s football — sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Senegal beat us fairly and deserved it. It would be unfair to take away their joy after all their hard work,” he added.

While acknowledging the authority of CAF, Hakimi reiterated that personal integrity and respect for the game outweighed any official recognition.

“I respect CAF’s decision, but I cannot accept a trophy I did not win on the pitch. I did not win AFCON 2025. Congratulations to Senegal once again,” he said.

His stance marks an unusual moment in modern football, where a player has chosen to reject a major continental title in defence of sporting principles.

Morocco entered the tournament as one of the favourites but ultimately fell short in the final, while Senegal’s performance throughout the competition cemented their status as deserving champions in the eyes of many observers.

Senegal, however, walked out of the pitch during the AFCON final when the referee awarded Morocco a late penalty after a VAR review. Senegal officials and players were furious with the decision. But after an intervention by players like Sadio Mane, they returned to continue the game. Morocco missed the penalty, and the match went to extra time. Senegal eventually won 1.0.