A Morocco legend confirms that the rules favour the Atlas Lions

Mustapha Hadji, the Morocco national team legend, has insisted the Atlas Lions deserve to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations at Senegal's expense under the regulations of the Confederation of African Football "CAF", arguing that the referee of the famous final, Congolese official Jean Jacques Ndala, made a major mistake.

Hadji said, in a video interview with Kooora to be published later, "Football is governed by laws, and the law says that if players leave the pitch there must be a penalty, and in general I hope this crisis will not be repeated for the sake of the future of African football".

Asked whether he expected a ruling in Morocco's favour, he said, "God willing, as Morocco committed no error, while the Senegal players left the pitch, and therefore the law says it is Morocco's right to reclaim the Africa Cup title".

Senegal want the "CAF" decision overturned and the continental title restored, on the grounds that the referee completed the match and the result on the pitch should therefore stand. Hadji pointed the finger at the Congolese referee.

"I see that the referee made a major mistake when he decided to complete the match after the Senegal players left," he explained. "And the strange thing is that the video assistant referee and the Confederation of African Football officials let the referee take the decision on his own without intervening".

The former Moroccan star went on: "The Senegalese know the law, and they know well what happened. It is true they won the match on the pitch, but they realise the referee took his decision in order to ensure the match was completed without bigger problems".

He then added, "But the laws of CAF and FIFA say that in the event players leave the pitch for more than 10 or 15 minutes there must be a penalty".

"Rejecting the CAS decision would harm the future of Africa"

Would the Moroccan public object if the ruling went Senegal's way? Hadji replied, "I hope the final ruling applies to everyone whoever it may be, but God willing the decision will be in Morocco's favour".

Crowned African Footballer of the Year in 1998, the star stressed: "We are talking about the law of football. We did not steal the cup unjustly, rather we won it by the law in accordance with the events that took place on the pitch".

On a possible appeal of the expected "CAS" decision, Hadji concluded: "I see that it is difficult to go any further than this in this case, especially as that would harm the future of the game in Africa. I want the world to know that there is a law governing African football".

What are the details of the Morocco and Senegal crisis?

Senegal had beaten hosts Morocco 1-0 in the final staged in Rabat on 18 January.

CAF later upheld the appeal lodged by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to crown Morocco as winners, citing the Senegal players' withdrawal from the pitch in protest at Ndala's decision to award the hosts a penalty in the final minutes of normal time.

Senegal did not give up. Their federation took CAF's historic and unprecedented decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport "CAS" in Switzerland.

The court held a hearing attended by representatives of Morocco, Senegal and CAF this October to settle the matter, and announced that the final decision will be revealed at the end of next November.