MONROVIA – In a strongly worded statement, football legend and former African Footballer of the Year, George Manneh Weah, Sr., has officially challenged the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to withdraw the AFCON 2025 championship from Senegal and award it to Morocco.
The decision follows a controversial final match between the two nations, which Weah argues was concluded under the full authority of the match officials on the pitch.
Citing Law 5 of the FIFA Laws of the Game, which governs all CAF competitions, Weah emphasized that the referee remains the final authority on all facts connected with play.
“The referee has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game… and his decisions on facts connected with play are final.” — Law 5, Laws of the Game.
Weah pointed out that despite a mid-match stoppage, the referee allowed play to continue. The match was completed through extra time, and a result was obtained on the field. Furthermore, the official referee’s report categorized the incident as a “stoppage” rather than a “forfeiture,” recommending sanctions rather than a nullification of the result.
The Ballon d’Or winner warned that allowing a committee to override an on-field result after the final whistle sets a dangerous precedent.
“Football must be decided on the pitch, not re-decided after the final whistle,” Weah stated. “Otherwise, the beautiful game will head down a slippery slope where committee room officials—not match officials—will be making post-match rulings on penalties, offsides, and red cards.”
He described the move as a “travesty” that undermines the integrity of football across the continent and called upon the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to intervene and ensure the sporting result stands.
In addition to his critique of the ruling, Weah addressed “blatantly false” rumors circulating on social media. He categorically denied any claims that he supports the CAF Disciplinary Committee’s decision against Senegal.
“All those circulating my image and attaching it to such fallacious statements are advised to refrain,” the statement concluded.
