Guardiola reacts to CAF stripping Senegal of 2025 AFCON title win

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has reacted to the decision of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, to award the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to Morocco.

CAF’s Appeal Board, earlier this week, overturned Senegal’s 1–0 victory in the final of the competition.

They adjudged that the Teranga Lions’ walk-off in protest of a stoppage-time penalty breached Articles 82 and 84.

The match was consequently recorded as a 3–0 forfeit in favour of Morocco.

“It’s a surprise,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

“I don’t have a proper opinion because I don’t know the reason why. I didn’t read, didn’t see.

“But it’s a decision made behind-the-scenes. What happens everywhere is what we see, it’s not happened, it always happens behind the scenes and you don’t see their faces. That is what is happening lately in football and all around the world in other subjects.”