The **CAN 2025 final** continues to ignite debate, nearly three months after the initial match. On January 18, in Rabat, **Senegal** had secured a 1-0 victory against **Morocco** following extra time. However, on March 17, the **Confédération africaine de football** (CAF) controversially overturned this outcome, awarding **Morocco** a 3-0 win by administrative decision.
The **CAF** appeal jury justified its decision by referencing articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations. These articles state that a team leaving the field or refusing to resume play is automatically declared to have forfeited. This interpretation is strongly disputed by the **Senegalese Football Federation**, which has since lodged an appeal with the **Tribunal arbitral du sport** (TAS) to annul the verdict.
While awaiting the **TAS** ruling, **Edouard Mendy** has broken his silence to champion the stance of the **Lions de la Teranga**. Appearing on the Saudi podcast Mo Show Prod, the **Al-Hilal** goalkeeper offered his account of the events, which directly contradicts **Moroccan** claims of a collective team abandonment.
The **Senegalese** shot-stopper, a hero in the final for saving **Brahim Diaz’s** penalty, stressed a critical detail. He asserted, “People claimed we all left the field during the final, but that’s incorrect. There were still players on the pitch. It’s crucial to highlight this.”
Edouard Mendy defends Senegal’s stance
Furthermore, **Mendy** cited referee **Jean-Jacques Ndala’s** official report to bolster his argument. He explained, “That’s why the referee didn’t blow the final whistle. His report noted that the match was paused temporarily, but not that the team had abandoned it, precisely because players remained on the field.”
According to the former **Chelsea** goalkeeper, the game did indeed restart, which would effectively negate any notion of a forfeit. He elaborated, “The match paused for a moment and then recommenced. Therefore, from that point on, there’s no need to discuss what happened because the game continued to its conclusion. If the entire team had been absent, we wouldn’t be having this conversation today. But that wasn’t the situation.”
Nevertheless, this account doesn’t entirely resolve all ambiguities surrounding the incident. According to Afrik Foot, the official match documentation, supported by video evidence, indicates that almost the entire team, with the exception of **Sadio Mané**, did indeed leave the pitch for several minutes. This included **Edouard Mendy** himself, who was reportedly among the first to head towards the dressing rooms. The conflicting narratives persist as the football world awaits the definitive **TAS** verdict on this **CAN 2025 final dispute**.
