Nearly three months after the initial events, the CAN 2025 final continues to fuel significant controversy. On January 18 in Rabat, Senegal initially secured a 1-0 victory against Morocco after extra time. However, on March 17, the Confédération africaine de football (CAF) overturned this result, ultimately awarding Morocco a 3-0 win by forfeit.
To justify this decision, the appeals jury invoked articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations. These articles stipulate that a team that abandons the field or declines to resume play is automatically deemed to have lost. The Fédération sénégalaise fiercely disputes this interpretation and has escalated the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), seeking to nullify the verdict.
As the football world awaits the TAS’s definitive ruling, Edouard Mendy has publicly addressed the situation, stepping forward to champion the position of the Lions of Teranga. During an appearance on the Saudi podcast Mo Show Prod, the Al-Hilal goalkeeper offered his account of events, directly contradicting Moroccan allegations of a collective team abandonment.
Mendy, who emerged as a hero in the final by successfully blocking Brahim Diaz’s penalty, underscored a critical detail. He asserted, « People were claiming we all deserted the pitch during the final, but that’s simply not true. There were still players present on the field. It is crucial to highlight this fact », he reiterated.
Edouard Mendy’s vigorous defense of Senegal
Building on his statement, Mendy referenced referee Jean-Jacques Ndala’s official report to substantiate his claims: « And that is precisely why the referee did not signal the end of the match. His report noted that the game experienced a momentary halt, but it did not state that the team abandoned play, because players remained on the field. »
The former Chelsea goalkeeper maintains that the match did indeed resume, which, in his view, invalidates any argument for a forfeit. « The game paused briefly and then recommenced, so from that juncture, there is no basis to discuss what transpired, as the match proceeded to its conclusion. If the entire squad had been absent, we would not be debating this matter today. However, that was not the scenario. »
Nevertheless, Mendy’s perspective does not entirely resolve all ambiguities. According to Afrik Foot, the official match report, corroborated by video footage, suggests that nearly the entire team, with the sole exception of Sadio Mané, did in fact leave the pitch for several minutes. This reportedly included Edouard Mendy himself, who was observed among the first players heading towards the dressing rooms. The contest of narratives persists, pending the ultimate judgment from the TAS.