Captain of the Morocco national team, Achraf Hakimi, has publicly rejected the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title awarded to his country, insisting Senegal were the rightful winners.
In an emotional statement, Hakimi revealed that he had been advised by his mother to turn down the trophy, citing fairness and respect for the opposition.
“My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy. I’m officially rejecting the trophy and hope my teammates do the same. We had a chance to win it but we failed to win it,” he said.
The Moroccan captain acknowledged that football can be unpredictable but maintained that Senegal earned their victory on merit.
“That’s football, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Senegal beat us fairly and deserved the win. It will be unfair to ruin their joy after the hard work they put in,” he added.
Despite respecting the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Hakimi made it clear that he does not consider Morocco as champions.
“I respect the CAF decision but I’m officially rejecting the trophy. I didn’t win 2025 AFCON. Congratulations to Senegal once again.”
Hakimi’s stance is likely to intensify debate surrounding the controversial AFCON 2025 final decision, as calls for a review continue across the continent.
