African football legend George Weah has condemned the Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s controversial decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page the three time African footballer of the year said that the referee on the pitch is the final authority on decisions made during the match.
He went on to add that once play is allowed to continue and the match is completed, the result obtained on the field must stand.
“In football, the Laws of the Game are clear: the referee on the pitch is the final authority on decisions made during the match. Once play is allowed to continue and the match is completed, the result obtained on the field must stand.
Under the applicable rules of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), match officials have full authority during the game.
CAF regulations are in line with the FIFA Laws of the Game, which provide that:
“The referee has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed, and his decisions on facts connected with play are final.”- Read part of his statement.
“— Law 5, Laws of the Game (applied by all Confederations including CAF competitions).
In the present case of the final AFCON match between Senegal and Morocco, the referee allowed the match to continue after the walk-off by Senegal, and the game was completed, including extra time, with a result obtained on the field of play.
Additionally, post match, the referee report noted a stoppage during the match, not a forfeiture and recommended appropriate sanctions for the infractions during the match.”
“For this reason, the subsequent decision by CAF committee, taken after the match had already been concluded, should not override the authority exercised by the referee during the game in keeping with the Laws of the Game – Law 5.
Football must be decided on the pitch, not re-decided after the final whistle.
There is therefore no sporting justification to nullify a match that was completed in accordance with the referee’s authority and the Laws of the Game otherwise the beautiful game will head down a slippery slope where committee room officials and not match officials will be making post match rulings to override referees on-field decisions like penalties, offside and red cards,” he added.
The former AC Milan player believes the decision of the CAF Appeal Board has put a blemish on African football and further undermined integrity, fairness and consistency on the continent.
“Where will it end?
This decision has further scarred and blemished African football, undermining confidence in the fairness, consistency, and integrity of football on the continent.
I call on the court of Arbitration for Sports(CAS) and other relevant authorities to move decisively so that this travesty does not stand.
I also want to use this opportunity to clarify that social media posts widely circulating claiming that I support the decision by CAF Disciplinary Committee against Senegal is blatantly false.
All those circulating my image and attaching the same to such fallacious statements are advised to refrain.”
Morocco were declared the winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result of the final following Senegal’s controversial walk-off.
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January in a match that was overshadowed when the Senegalese players refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.
Following a delay of about 17 minutes, the players did eventually return and Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.
However, that result has now been overturned after a decision by an appeal board at African football’s governing body.
