Following widespread criticism of the Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s decision to strip Senegal of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, Africa’s decorated footballer and former President of Liberia, George Manneh Weah Sr., has also weighed in on the matter, demanding justice.
Titled, “Statement of George Weah on the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to withdraw the AFCON 2025 championship from Senegal and award it to Morocco,” the veteran soccer player clarified that “In football, the Laws of the Game are clear.”
The embattled 2025 AFCON Trophy
“Football must be decided on the pitch, not re-decided after the final whistle.”
He argued that “the referee on the pitch is the final authority on decisions made during the match. Once play is allowed to continue and the match is completed, the result obtained on the field must stand. Under the applicable rules of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), match officials have full authority during the game.”
In the statement dated 18 March 2026, the only African footballer to win the Ballon d’Or in 1995 cited Law 5 of the Laws of the Game, which applies to all Confederations, including CAF competitions, to make his case.
“The referee has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed, and his decisions on facts connected with play are final,” the former international noted, stressing that “CAF regulations are in line with the FIFA Laws of the Game.”
The three-time African Footballer of the Year in 1989, 1994, and 1995 underlined that “the referee allowed the match to continue after the walk-off by Senegal, and the game was completed, including extra time, with a result obtained on the field of play.”
On where the results of matches are decided, the former Liberian President insisted that “Football must be decided on the pitch, not re-decided after the final whistle.”
Subsequent decisions by the CAF committee should not override the referee’s authority
Further clarifying the matter, he maintained that “There is therefore no sporting justification to nullify a match that was completed in accordance with the referee’s authority and the Laws of the Game; otherwise the beautiful game will head down a slippery slope where committee room officials and not match officials will be making post-match rulings to override referees’ on-field decisions like penalties, offside and red cards.”
The 59-years-old insisted that “the subsequent decision by [the] CAF committee, taken after the match had already been concluded, should not override the authority exercised by the referee during the game in keeping with the Laws of the Game – Law 5” because in the post-match situation, “the referee report noted a stoppage during the match, not a forfeiture and recommended appropriate sanctions for the infractions during the match.”
On the dangerous precedent CAF’s decision is likely to create, the former footballer regretted that “this decision has further scarred and blemished African football, undermining confidence in the fairness, consistency, and integrity of football on the continent.”
He dismissed social media posts widely circulating, claiming that he supports “the decision by the CAF Disciplinary Committee against Senegal” as “blatantly false,” adding, “all those circulating my image and attaching the same to such fallacious statements are advised to refrain.”
The Liberian striker and politician urged “the court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and other relevant authorities to move decisively so that this travesty does not stand.”
While Morocco is excited about the decision and local authorities are preparing for a grand ceremony to receive the AFCON trophy on its home soil, the Senegalese football team recently handed over the trophy to its nation’s armed forces.
In another twist, Guinea has also urged CAF to review the 1976 AFCON title, referencing a Moroccan walkout like the one that saw Senegal stripped of their current title.
Editor’s Note: All photos are courtesy of George Weah.
