Pep Guardiola Reacts to CAF Stripping Senegal of AFCON 2025 Title
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has publicly reacted with surprise and criticism following the Confederation of African Football's decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title. The controversial ruling, which overturned the original outcome of the tournament final held on January 18, 2026, has sent shockwaves through the football community.
CAF's Decision and Appeal Process
The Confederation of African Football initially sanctioned both Senegal and Morocco following an incident during the AFCON final. However, after the Royal Moroccan Football Federation appealed the decision, the CAF Appeal Board overruled the initial judgment. The board subsequently stripped Senegal of the continental title and awarded Morocco a 3-0 walkover victory, granting them the championship trophy.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe defended the organizational structure, emphasizing that each board operates independently and is empowered to act according to its own judgment. This explanation was supported by former Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick, who echoed the sentiment that the appeal process followed proper procedures.
Guardiola's Strong Reaction
In a viral post on social media platform X, Pep Guardiola expressed his astonishment at the decision to award the 2025 AFCON title to Morocco. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager claimed that those responsible for the ruling would be unable to show their faces in public due to the controversial nature of the decision.
"It's a surprise. I don't know the reason... but it's a decision made behind-the-scenes," Guardiola stated. "What happens everywhere is what we see, it's not happened, it always happens behind the scenes and you don't see their faces."
The Manchester City coach emphasized that while the verdict has been delivered, many observers remain unaware of the specific reasons behind the reversal, highlighting what he perceives as a lack of transparency in the decision-making process.
Football Community Reactions
The decision has sparked widespread reactions across the football community, with many echoing Guardiola's concerns about transparency and governance in African football.
- @minospeed007 commented: "Everyone is condemning the actions of African football by CAF to satisfy selfish interests, but CAF keeps grandstanding on its shameful decisions to strip Senegal of their hard-earned trophy. This tells a story about the deep-rooted corruption in the organization."
- @jerrymejh wrote: "Pep's right to point out the lack of transparency. Major decisions affecting players and clubs, especially regarding tournaments like AFCON, often feel like they're made in a vacuum without consulting the people actually on the pitch."
- @AgberoFcBAT added: "Pep finally saying what everyone in African football has been whispering for the last 48 hours. When a result is overturned 58 days after the final whistle, it's no longer about football—it's about the 'behind-the-scenes' politics Pep is talking about."
Morocco's Response and Next Steps
The Moroccan Football Federation has acknowledged the CAF ruling that awarded them the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title. However, officials have stated they will refrain from commenting on the broader implications until they have consulted with their governing body and reached an internal decision about how to proceed.
Senegal's Teranga Lions have already headed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to appeal the decision, setting the stage for further legal proceedings that could extend the controversy surrounding this unprecedented title reversal in African football history.
