Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi has refused to accept the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations trophy awarded to his country by the Confederation of African Football, insisting Senegal are the rightful champions after the controversial final.
Hakimi made his position clear in a statement following CAF’s decision to strip Senegal of the title over a walk-off protest and award Morocco a 3-0 forfeit victory.
“I’m officially rejecting it and hope my teammates do the same. We had a chance but failed to win,” he said.
He added that his mother had advised him against taking the trophy: “My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy.”
The defender stressed that Morocco did not deserve the accolade despite the administrative ruling.
Hakimi’s stance has sparked widespread debate, with many interpreting it as a rare act of sportsmanship amid the ongoing controversy over the final in Rabat. Senegal has appealed the CAF decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.