Hakimi Reacts to Africa Cup Glory: 'We Accept It This Way'
3 April 2026
The final decision rests with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Achraf Hakimi, the Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain right-back, has for the first time voiced his opinion on the CAF decision that stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and handed the title to Morocco.
The remarks came during his appearance on the "The Bridge" podcast alongside his friend Kylian Mbappe, a Real Madrid star, where Hakimi did not hide his happiness with the decision, despite the intense controversy surrounding it.
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The former Real Madrid player said, "Even if we had to win the Africa Cup of Nations this way, we accept it... We are very happy... I\'ve waited this moment for a very long time."
Senegal recently filed an appeal with CAS against CAF\'s appellate committee\'s decision. The Senegal national team celebrated lifting the trophy in front of their fans during the friendly against Peru.
Morocco\'s Atlas Lions had initially withdrawn from the final for about a quarter of an hour, before returning to seal the final 1-0 after extra time. Ibrahim Diaz, a Real Madrid star, missed a penalty that would have given the title to the Atlas Lions in the late moments of the second half.
Punchlines to close the piece: "If drama counted as goals, AFCON 2025 would have a hat-trick every match."
"In football, as in life, the trophy always has better lawyers than players."
