'The longest VAR check in history' - now African football needs to move on

"Everything seemed set for the 2025 competition in Morocco to build on that success, with modern, state-of-the-art stadiums, passionate home fans and record-breaking numbers of travelling supporters. It did deliver more goals and a bigger worldwide audience than ever before, but all it will now be remembered for is a chaotic final that ended with Senegal beating Morocco and - two months later - a decision to overturn its outcome."

"What stood out were the allegations - on social media - that hosts Morocco were getting the rub of the green when it came to refereeing decisions. It was becoming a big part of the managers' pre-match news conferences. The conspiracy theories seemed to be linked to a perceived close relationship between Morocco's football federation and the Confederation of African Football (Caf)."

"There was chaos when Senegal arrived in Rabat for the final, and pictures of the players walking through huge crowds - with seemingly minimal security - went viral. Complaints followed from Senegal's football federation that their original hotel wasn't good enough - and that they didn't have enough tickets for their fans."

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco initially promised to build on the success of the 2023 tournament with modern stadiums and passionate fans. However, the competition became defined by controversy surrounding the final between Morocco and Senegal. Pre-match allegations emerged on social media suggesting Morocco received favorable refereeing decisions, with managers raising concerns during press conferences. Conspiracy theories linked these decisions to a perceived close relationship between Morocco's football federation and the Confederation of African Football. Chaos accompanied Senegal's arrival in Rabat, with security concerns and disputes over hotel accommodations and ticket allocations. Despite record-breaking goals and global audience numbers, the tournament is now remembered primarily for the chaotic final and the subsequent decision to overturn its outcome.

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