Former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, has admitted he was surprised by the decision of the CAF Appeal Board to strip Senegal national team of the AFCON 2025 Title and award it to Morocco national team.
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Pinnick said the ruling has generated significant backlash globally, raising concerns about the image of African football.
“The decision came as a surprise to me,” Pinnick said.
The former FIFA Council member noted that the optics surrounding the situation have not been favourable, especially given the reaction from fans and stakeholders across the world.
“The optics have not been good for African football,” he added.
According to Pinnick, the controversy has placed the leadership of the Confederation of African Football under scrutiny, despite ongoing efforts to improve the game on the continent.
“CAF’s leadership is now being questioned,” he stated.
He stressed that while CAF has made progress in developing African football, incidents like this risk overshadowing those achievements.
Pinnick concluded by urging football authorities to handle such matters with greater clarity and timeliness in the future to protect the credibility and reputation of African competitions.
