Former Ghana international Frimpong Manso has strongly criticised the decision by the Confederation of African Football to overturn the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
The CAF Appeals Committee recently ruled that Senegal national football team would forfeit their victory and awarded the title to Morocco national football team following incidents during the final.
The match, played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, had initially ended in a 1-0 win for Senegal after extra time, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal.
However, the controversy stemmed from a dramatic moment late in the game when Senegal players left the pitch in protest after a penalty was awarded to Morocco. The game was halted for several minutes before the players returned to continue.
CAF later ruled that the action breached competition regulations, leading to a decision to overturn the result and hand Morocco a 3-0 win by forfeiture.
Reacting to the development in an interview with Medeamaa FM, Manso described the ruling as unjustified and harmful to African football.
“It’s a bad precedent and doesn’t make sense for the CAF Appeals Committee to strip the Senegal national football team of the 2025 AFCON title and award it to the Morocco national team,” he said.
The former midfielder, who now coaches Nations FC, believes the decision could have long-term implications for how similar situations are handled in the future.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese Football Federation has rejected the ruling and is reportedly preparing to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The controversy has sparked widespread debate across the continent, raising questions about fairness, discipline, and the interpretation of regulations in major African competitions.