Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi has publicly rejected the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title awarded to Morocco, insisting that Senegal were the rightful winners of the tournament.
Hakimi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, said he could not accept the trophy despite a ruling by the Confederation of African Football that handed the title to Morocco following a dispute involving Senegal.
According to the defender, Morocco did not earn the title on the pitch and accepting it would undermine the integrity of the game.
“My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy. I’m officially rejecting it and hope my teammates do the same. We had a chance but failed to win,” Hakimi said.
He acknowledged Senegal’s performance in the final and insisted that the West African side deserved to be recognised as champions.
“That’s football; sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Senegal beat us fairly and deserved it. It would be unfair to ruin their joy after the hard work,” he added.
Hakimi maintained that although he respects CAF’s decision, he cannot accept a title he believes Morocco did not win on merit.
“I respect the CAF decision but I’m officially rejecting the trophy. I didn’t win the 2025 AFCON. Congratulations to Senegal once again,” he said.
The development follows a ruling by the CAF Appeal Board on March 17, 2026, which awarded Morocco a 3–0 victory after determining that Senegal forfeited the final through a walk-off during the match.
However, the Senegalese Football Federation has said it will challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Hakimi’s stance has drawn attention across the football community as a rare instance of a player declining a major title in favour of fairness and respect for the opposing team.
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