You are giving Carragher more power — Odion Ighalo slams CAF for AFCON decision

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) sent shockwaves across the continent two weeks ago by stripping Senegal of the AFCON title following a petition from the Moroccan Football Federation.

The ruling cited Senegal’s temporary walk-off during a chaotic final as a breach of tournament regulations.

However, the decision has been met with fierce accusations of favoritism toward the North African giants.

Ighalo, who was on media duties during the tournament, admitted that while the ruling may follow the "letter of the law," the damage to the competition’s integrity is immense.

Speaking to fellow ex-international Ifeanyi Udeze on Brila FM, the former Manchester United star expressed his frustration:

”This AFCON took us ten steps forward, but this decision drags us five steps backward. It has given people leverage to start disparaging African football again."

Ighalo, an AFCON 2019 bronze medalist, highlighted how this scandal fuels the narrative of Western critics who consistently downplay the tournament's prestige.

“I always challenge the foreign media outlets that talk down on AFCON and try to discourage players from attending," Ighalo stated.

"We are trying to push it and make it elite in the eyes of the world. But what just happened brings the competition down again.

"Now you’re allowing the likes of Jamie Carragher to say things they shouldn't be saying... this just gives them more power to criticize the tournament.”

The Senegalese FA has already escalated the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking to overturn the ruling.

A final verdict is expected imminently, as the continent watches to see if the 2025 champions will be decided in a boardroom or on the pitch.