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On January 18, 2026, four minutes into extra time of the AFCON 2025 final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Pape Gueye met a cross and drove it past the Moroccan goalkeeper. Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations. Gueye was at the centre of the celebrations. He is still at the centre of the story, only the story has moved from the pitch to the courts, and his position has not changed by a millimetre.
"The medals are ours. Are we going to give back the medals like Idrissa said? No, no, that was ironic. I told him I was not ready to give up my medal. The whole world knows perfectly well that Senegal won the cup." Those words, from an interview with L'Equipe, are now among the most quoted in African football. They are also a precise summary of the standoff between Senegal's players and the Confederation of African Football that has defined the continent's football governance conversation since March.
What Actually Happened
The final was goalless deep into stoppage time when Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala disallowed a Senegalese goal and immediately awarded Morocco a penalty. Coach Pape Thiaw led his players off the pitch in protest. The walkout lasted approximately 17 minutes. Sadio Mane, as reported across multiple sources including Sky Sports and Goal, persuaded his teammates to return. Brahim Diaz attempted a Panenka from the spot and Edouard Mendy saved it. Gueye scored in extra time. Senegal celebrated. The world watched.
In March 2026, CAF ruled that Senegal had breached AFCON regulations Article 82, which states that a team refusing to play or leaving the ground before the end of regulation time without the referee's authorisation is considered the loser and eliminated. Article 84 specifies the result becomes a 3-0 forfeit loss. CAF declared Morocco champions. Senegal were stripped of the title they had celebrated for two months.
CAF subsequently rejected Morocco's request to physically recover the trophy and medals from the Senegalese players, as confirmed by Legit.ng's reporting on the ruling. The medals remain in Senegal. Gueye's position is that they will stay there.
A Squad Divided, Then United
The most revealing detail in Gueye's account is what it says about the internal dynamics of the Senegalese squad in the immediate aftermath of the ruling. Idrissa Gana Gueye, the veteran Everton midfielder and captain in the final, had publicly offered to collect the medals from his teammates and return them to CAF, a gesture designed, apparently, to ease tensions. Pape Gueye's response was immediate and blunt. He describes it as ironic. He was not about to comply.
Idrissa Gueye's own position, as reported by Goal, was equally unambiguous in its own way: "I think this decision is just ridiculous. We won the game on the pitch not in offices." The difference between the two Gueyes is not really a difference at all. One offered a gesture. The other refused it. Both believe the same thing.
Where the Case Stands
The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed in March 2026 that Senegal's appeal had been lodged and accepted, as reported by Sky Sports. The CAS process is ongoing. Until a verdict is issued, the record books reflect CAF's ruling: Morocco are the official AFCON 2025 champions. Senegal's players are in possession of the medals. The trophy sits in Rabat. The legal case continues in Lausanne.
The practical consequence of this situation is that both Morocco and Senegal are preparing for the 2026 World Cup with the AFCON dispute unresolved. Senegal face France, Norway, and an inter-confederation playoff winner in Group I. Morocco face Portugal, Uruguay, and the United States. Both squads contain the players who were on the pitch that night. The question that the AFCON resolution left open is whether those players will be on the pitch again at AFCON 2027. The qualifying draw today is the first step on that road. For the Senegalese players especially, the timing is pointed.
