Everton and Senegal winger Iliman Ndiaye has insisted that Senegal national football team still consider themselves the rightful champions of Africa despite the ongoing dispute surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.
Senegal defeated Morocco national football team 1-0 after extra time in the AFCON final earlier this year, but controversy erupted after several Senegal players walked off the pitch in protest following a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
In March, an appeals board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruled that Senegal had breached tournament regulations by leaving the field without the referee’s permission and subsequently awarded the title to Morocco.
Senegal’s football federation has since challenged the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
As reported by BBC Sport on Friday, speaking about the situation, Ndiaye said the decision had not changed how the team viewed its achievement.
“Obviously, in our eyes and many other people’s eyes, we are the champions of Africa.
“Whatever their decisions will be, it doesn’t disturb us,” he told BBC World Service.
The Everton forward added that Senegal remained fully focused on the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 and would not allow the controversy to become a distraction.
“The same focus and hunger and determination that we had going into the AFCON, we’re going to do the same going into the World Cup.
“It’s another trophy on the line and nothing’s going to distract us,” he said.
Ndiaye also reflected on the dramatic scenes during the final in Rabat, where Senegal players protested after a late goal was ruled out before Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.
“It was just a bit of unfairness that happened for us.
“That’s what we thought on the pitch with the goal being disallowed and then the penalty, which we don’t think was a penalty, in the space of a short time.”
“Emotions were really high and you do things straight away,” he added.
The 26-year-old admitted that the fallout from the final and the subsequent CAF ruling had not reflected well on African football.
“It wasn’t a great look so I just hope they put it right,” Ndiaye added.
Senegal are grouped alongside France, Norway and Iraq for the World Cup finals, which will be staged in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The PUNCH