Morocco's newly appointed coach hails 'fully justified' Africa Cup of Nations verdict

On Thursday, Morocco's new head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, extended his congratulations to the nation following the CAF's decision to revoke Senegal's 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, deeming it a "well-deserved" outcome in favour of Morocco.

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The decision was made after Senegal's players walked off the pitch in protest during the final on January 18 in Rabat, when Morocco was awarded a penalty in second-half stoppage time, only to miss it and ultimately lose 1-0 to Senegal, who scored in extra-time through Pape Gueye.

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Mohamed Ouahbi expressed his delight at the news, stating that it was a pleasure shared by all, as he presented his first squad list for Morocco's upcoming friendly matches against Ecuador and Paraguay.

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Ouahbi, who replaced Walid Regragui earlier this month, partly due to Regragui's failure to secure the Africa Cup of Nations title, emphasized the importance of shifting focus towards the present and future, with his primary goal being to prepare the team for the World Cup.

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The Moroccan federation welcomed CAF's announcement, praising its "respect for the rules", whereas the Senegalese Football Federation has chosen to appeal the decision, describing it as "unjust", and has instructed its lawyers to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

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Earlier, at the end of January, the CAF disciplinary committee had imposed fines amounting to several hundred thousand euros on both federations for unsportsmanlike conduct, without questioning the final result.

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Morocco, previously under Walid Regragui's leadership, achieved a semi-final finish in the 2022 World Cup and is set to compete in Group C at this year's edition, alongside Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti.