Credit: Tung Manh Phan

Richie Mills

Wed 18 March 2026 11:10, UK

West Ham United and Senegal star El Hadji Malick Diouf has slammed the decision to declare Morocco the winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the controversy-ridden final on 18 January, which involved the Senegalese players walking off the pitch in protest over the hosts being awarded a stoppage-time penalty.

After a delay of around 17 minutes, Brahim Diaz missed his spotkick, before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.

On Tuesday, though, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result, saying Senegal were “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the result of the match being recorded as 3-0 to Morocco.

As the Senegalese Football Federation prepares to appeal this verdict, West Ham defender Diouf, who started the AFCON final, has criticised the decision.

AFCON trophy is won on the pitch and ‘not by email’

Not long after news broke of this decision by African football’s governing body, Diouf joined some of his compatriots in dismissing the verdict.

In its ruling, CAF stated that Senegal violated Article 82 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, thereby triggering the application of Article 84.

Article 82 decrees that if a team refuses to play or leaves the pitch before the end of regulation time without the referee’s say so, it will be considered the loser and eliminated from the tournament.

Article 84 states that any team that violates Article 82 will be permanently eliminated and will lose the contest 3-0.

But West Ham left-back Diouf was having none of it on social media.

The summer signing posted a series of photos from Senegal’s AFCON final triumph, with Diouf putting in an Instagram story: “This trophy is won on the pitch, not by email.”

El Hadji Malick Diouf will have to get over this disappointment

While many Senegalese will say that this AFCON title is their own and they won it on the pitch, the history books will show that Morocco came out on top.

This may, however, be something of a hollow victory for the North Africans, especially as it comes two months after the showpiece event was played.

For Diouf, though, he will have to get over this disappointment quickly as West Ham have a relegation fight to contend with.

West Ham are the form team amongst their relegation rivals, but still sit in the relegation zone due to an inferior goal difference.

After a valuable point at home to second-placed Manchester City last Saturday, West Ham travel to Aston Villa on Sunday, looking to climb out of the bottom three.

Unai Emery’s men are wobbling right now with three defeats in a row in the league. On paper, this is a tough match against the fourth-placed team in the Premier League.

But Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will fancy their chances.