Captain of Morocco’s national team, Achraf Hakimi, has rejected the country’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title following a controversial ruling that awarded the trophy to Morocco after their defeat in the final.
The Paris Saint-Germain defender said he could not accept the title, insisting that neither he nor his teammates earned it on the pitch.
His position comes after Morocco’s loss to the Senegal national football team in the final, a result he described as fair and deserved.
“My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy. I’m officially rejecting it and hope my teammates do the same. We had a chance but failed to win,” Hakimi said.
He stressed that accepting the title under such circumstances would undermine the spirit of fair play and diminish Senegal’s achievement.
“That’s football—sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Senegal beat us fairly and deserved it. It would be unfair to ruin their joy after the hard work,” he added.
Hakimi acknowledged the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) but maintained his personal stance.
“I respect CAF’s decision, but I’m officially rejecting the trophy. I didn’t win the 2025 AFCON.
Congratulations to Senegal once again,” he said.
The development follows a ruling by CAF’s Appeal Board on March 17, 2026, which awarded Morocco a 3–0 victory after determining that Senegal’s walk-off constituted a forfeiture, overturning the original 1–0 result.
However, the Senegalese Football Federation has announced plans to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Hakimi’s stance marks a rare moment in international football, with a player publicly declining a major title in favour of sporting integrity, even as Morocco had been among the tournament favourites.
