Former Ballon d’Or winner George Weah has expressed strong reservations over the decision by the Confederation of African Football to withdraw the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title from Senegal and award it to Morocco.
According to Weah, the fundamental principles of football, as enshrined in the Laws of the Game, clearly establish that the referee is the final authority on all decisions taken during a match. Once a game is allowed to proceed to completion, the result achieved on the field should stand.
He noted that CAF regulations align with FIFA’s Laws of the Game, particularly Law 5, which states that the referee has full authority to enforce the rules and that decisions relating to play are final.
Referring to the AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco, Weah emphasized that the referee permitted the match to continue after the temporary walk-off by Senegal, and the game was ultimately completed, including extra time, with a result decided on the pitch.
He further pointed out that the referee’s post-match report identified the incident as a stoppage rather than a forfeiture, recommending appropriate sanctions for misconduct during the match rather than overturning the result.
In his view, any subsequent decision by a CAF committee should not supersede the authority exercised by the referee during the match in accordance with the Laws of the Game.
“Football must be decided on the pitch, not re-decided after the final whistle,” he stressed, warning that allowing post-match rulings to overturn on-field decisions could set a dangerous precedent for the sport.
Weah cautioned that such actions risk eroding confidence in the fairness, consistency, and integrity of African football, potentially opening the door for administrative bodies to routinely override referees’ decisions on key incidents.
He therefore called on the Court of Arbitration for Sport and other relevant authorities to urgently review the matter to ensure that justice is upheld.
The former African Footballer of the Year also dismissed circulating social media claims suggesting he supports CAF’s decision, describing them as false and misleading. He urged individuals spreading such content to desist immediately.
