Nearly three months following the event, the controversy surrounding the CAN 2025 final continues to simmer. On January 18 in Rabat, Senegal initially secured a 1-0 victory against Morocco after extra time. However, on March 17, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) controversially overturned this result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 win by default.
The CAF Appeals Jury justified its decision by invoking articles 82 and 84 of the regulations, which state that a team leaving the field or refusing to resume play is automatically declared the loser. This interpretation has been vigorously contested by the Senegalese Football Federation, which has since escalated the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an effort to nullify the verdict.
While awaiting the crucial CAS ruling, Edouard Mendy has publicly addressed the situation, stepping forward to defend the position of the Lions of Teranga. During an appearance on the Saudi podcast Mo Show Prod, the Al-Hilal goalkeeper presented his account of the events, directly contradicting Moroccan allegations of a collective abandonment.
Mendy, who emerged as a hero in the final after expertly saving Brahim Diaz’s penalty, underscored a critical detail. “People claimed we all exited the pitch during the final, but that’s simply untrue. There were still players remaining on the field. It’s absolutely essential to highlight this,” he stressed.
Edouard Mendy champions Senegal’s position
He further bolstered his argument by referencing the official report from referee Jean-Jacques Ndala. “And that’s precisely why the referee did not blow the final whistle. His report indicated that the match was paused momentarily, but not that the team had abandoned, because players were still present on the field,” Mendy explained.
For the former Chelsea goalkeeper, the match indisputably resumed, which he believes invalidates any notion of a forfeiture. “The game halted for a brief period and then restarted, so from that point, there’s no need to discuss what happened because the match continued to its conclusion. If the entire team had been absent, we wouldn’t be having this conversation today. But that was not the case,” he affirmed.
Nevertheless, this perspective does not entirely resolve all ambiguities. According to Afrik Foot, the official report, corroborated by video evidence, suggests that nearly the entire team, with the notable exception of Sadio Mané, did indeed leave the playing surface for several minutes. This included Edouard Mendy himself, who was reportedly among the first to head towards the changing rooms. The clash of narratives persists, as the football world eagerly awaits the final verdict from the CAS.
