‘It’s a disgrace’ – Former Chelsea star blasts CAF over AFCON title decision

Former France international Emmanuel Petit has strongly criticised the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over its controversial decision to strip Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations title, describing the ruling as “ridiculous” and damaging to the image of African football.

The controversy stems from events during the AFCON final, where Senegal were accused of temporarily leaving the pitch, an act that has now led to disciplinary action months after the tournament concluded.

Petit questioned both the timing and severity of the punishment, insisting that the issue should have been addressed immediately during the match.

“Two months? Well, if you look at the law, they are right. When a team leaves the pitch and refuses to play the game, I think it is a 15-minute gap, but anyway, what Senegal did during the AFCON final, they should have been fined,” he said via BetGoat.

He also criticised the match officials for failing to act at the time.

The former Chelsea, Barcelona, and Arsenal midfielder believed the fallout has harmed all parties involved, including both finalists and African football as a whole.

“The referee knew the law, the rules. He didn't do anything about it. Now, after two months, they decided to take away the crown from Senegal, which is ridiculous.

“It shows, for me, nobody wins in this case. Senegal, Morocco, AFCON, everyone. They're all losing,” he added.

Petit did not hold back in his assessment of the wider impact, warning that such controversies undermine the progress African football has made globally.

“It’s a disgrace for football, especially for African football. So, I feel very bad for Senegal fans, for Moroccan fans, for all African fans.”

He highlighted the long-standing struggle for respect on the global stage.

Petit also expressed concern about the timing of the decision, coming just months before a major global tournament.

He added, “It's been very hard for them to win the respect from outside, especially from European countries. There was for years, many years, some arrogant behaviour towards African countries.

“But all of a sudden, this is happening right before the World Cup. We aren’t talking about football anymore. It's been decided through emails, phone calls, things like this.

“Those people who have decided to take away the crown from Senegal are being ridiculous. This is as simple as that.”