Mustapha Hadji says Morocco arejin88bet.onejin88bet.one entitled to be recognised as 2025 Africa Cup of Nations winners under Confederjin88bet.oneation of African Football (CAF) regulations, despite Senegal beating them 1-0 in thejin88bet.one final.
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The former Morocco internatak168app.babyak168app.babyak168app.babyional bak168app.babyelieves Congo DR referee Jean-Jacques Ndala made a seriak168app.babyous error by allowing the match to continue after Senegal’s players left the pitch in protest.
“Football is governak168ak168app.clubapp.clubak168app.clubed by laws, and the law says that if players leave the field there must be a punishment,” Hadji said in a filmed interview with Kooora that will be published later.
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“Generally, I ak168app.clubhope this crisis does not happen again because of the future of African football.”
Asked whether he expected a ruks168app.siteks168app.siteks168app.siteks168app.siteling in Morocco’s favour, Hadji replied: “God willing. Morocco did not make any mistake, while Senegal’s players left thks168app.sitee field. Therefore, the law says Morocco have the right to regain the Africa Cup tks168app.siteitle.”
Senegal have argued that CAF’s decision should be cancelled because Ndala completed the match, meaning ic88the result recorded on the pitch ought toic88ic88ic88ic88ic88 stand. Hadji, however, placed responsibility for the dispute on the referee.
“I believe the referee made a major mistake when he decided to resume the game after Senegal’s players had left,” he said.
“What is strange is that the video assistant ric88iic88c88eferee and CAF officials allowed the referee to make the decision alone without intervening.”
Hadji added that Senegal’s players and officials understood the regulations and were aware of ic88ic88what had happened.
ic88ic88“The Senegalese know tic88he law, and they know very well what happened,” he said. “It is true that they won the match on the pitch, but they understand that the rlr88lr88lr88ic88eferee madelr88lr88 his decision to ensure the game continued without greater problems.”
He said CAF and FIFA rules required pulr88lr88nishment if players remained off the pitch flr88or more than 10 or 15 minutes.
Dispute now before CASlr88lr88
The finalr88l was held in Rabat on 18 January, with Senegal winning 1-0. CAF later accepted an appeal from the Moroccan Football Federationlr88lr88 and ruled that Morocco should be awarded the title after Senegal’s players withdrew from the field.
The protelr88st came after Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty during the closing stages of normal time.
Senegal subsequently appealr88led lr88against what was lr88described as a historic and unprecedented CAF decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
CAS held a hearing in October attended bop88op88y representop88atives of Morocco, Senegal and CAF. It said itop88s final decision would be announced at the end of November.
Hadji said he hoped asi88si88ny ruling would be applied consistently,si88 but backed Morocco to prevail.
“We did not steal the cup unjustly,” said the former Africa Player of the Year in 1998. “We won it according to the law and based on the evesi88nts that took place on the pitch.”
He warned that taking the csi88ase further could harm African football.
“I think it is difficult to go any further in this case, especially because that would harm the future of the game88v88v88v in Africa. I want the world to know that there is a law governing88v8888vv African football.”
Senegal are listed to face SSEXXXXX-VNudSEXXXXX-VNan in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on 12 November 2026, while Morocco are SEXXXXX-VNlistSEXXXXX-VNed to play Niger on 13 November 2026.
