Cameroonian Bryan Mbuemo and Ivorian Amad Diallo, the Manchester United duo, have mocked the decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco.
African football is facing an unprecedented crisis after the Confederation of African Football’s Disciplinary Committee decided last month to award the African title to Morocco, despite Senegal’s 1-0 victory in the final, which went into extra time.
This decision was taken on the grounds that Senegal’s players walked off the pitch for a few minutes after a penalty was awarded to Morocco just minutes before the end of normal time, before the Lions of Teranga returned to complete the match.
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Morocco and Real Madrid star Ibrahim Diaz missed the penalty, and Senegal scored the winning goal in extra time to lift the trophy on Moroccan soil.
However, two months after the final, the African Football Confederation stripped Senegal of the title and declared Morocco the winner (3-0) on the grounds that the Lions of Teranga had withdrawn.
Meanwhile, this decision angered the Senegalese Football Federation, which decided to appeal to higher authorities in order to retain the African Cup.
In this regard, the duo of Mbuemo and Diallo appeared at a press conference whilst Manchester United were on a training camp in the Republic of Ireland, preparing for the resumption of Premier League matches following the international break.
The Manchester United stars were asked about the controversy surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations title, prompting the pair to laugh, with Diallo replying: “No comment”.
This sarcasm comes despite the presence of Moroccan Nasser Mazraoui in the Manchester United squad, who was part of the Atlas Lions squad at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Read also: President of the Senegalese Football Federation: Morocco’s behaviour is a “dangerous and painful precedent”