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Guinea Football Federation has called on the Confederation of African Football to review the outcome of the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations, citing what it describes as inconsistencies following a recent ruling involving Senegal. The appeal comes after CAF stripped Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title over a walkout incident and awarded victory to hosts Morocco, despite Senegal having won on the pitch. Guinea’s football authorities argue that similar disciplinary standards should be applied retroactively, pointing to a key moment during the 1976 tournament, which was decided through a four-team round-robin format. In the decisive match between Morocco and Guinea, the latter took the lead in the 33rd minute through Chérif Souleymane. Moroccan players briefly left the pitch in protest over a ...

FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Thursday underlined the body’s commitment to making sure the World Cup goes ahead “as scheduled” with “all teams” taking part amid doubts about Iran’s presence at the tournament. “FIFA is looking forward to all teams participating at the World Cup to compete in a spirit of fair play and mutual respect,” Infantino said from Zurich during an online FIFA Council meeting. “We have a schedule. We will soon have the 48 competing teams confirmed, and we want the World Cup to go ahead as scheduled.” Iran’s participation has been shrouded in doubt due to the conflict in the Middle East. They are due to play group games in the United States, against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and in Seattle against Egypt. However, Iranian football...

Morocco’s new head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, has endorsed the decision by the Confederation of African Football to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, describing the outcome as justified. The ruling, confirmed on March 17, overturned Senegal’s 1-0 victory in the final played in Rabat after CAF sanctioned the team for briefly walking off the pitch in protest over a late penalty awarded to Morocco during stoppage time. Although captain Sadio Mane later led the team back onto the field, Morocco failed to convert the penalty, before Pape Gueye scored in extra time to initially secure the win for Senegal. Speaking while unveiling his first squad ahead of friendlies against Ecuador and Paraguay, Ouahbi congratulated Morocco’s players, staff, and football authorit...

A major controversy has erupted in African football after the Confederation of African Football stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, prompting strong backlash and a firm refusal by the country to return the trophy. The dispute follows CAF’s ruling on the 2025 final, which awarded hosts Morocco a 3-0 victory after the match was declared a walkover. The decision came after Senegal’s late exit from the game on the instruction of head coach Pape Thiaw, following a controversial stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco. CAF maintained that Senegal’s walk-off violated the rules of the game. However, the reaction from Senegal has been swift and defiant. Government officials have condemned the decision as unjust and unprecedented, while also alleging corruption w...

Iran will “boycott the United States” but will still participate in this year’s FIFA World Cup 2026, according to Mehdi Taj. In a video released by Iranian press agency Fars on Wednesday, Taj said: “We will be preparing for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup.” Iran is scheduled to play its group-stage matches in the US, part of the tournament hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The country’s football federation has reportedly discussed with FIFA the possibility of relocating its matches, though the global governing body has so far kept the schedule unchanged. Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Tuesday that Mexico is ready to host Iran’s first-round matches if required due to the conflict in the Middle East. She added: “Mexico m...

The president of African football’s governing body has defended its “integrity and impartiality” after Senegal’s government called for an international investigation into “suspected corruption” at the organisation after it stripped the country of its Africa Cup of Nations title. Patrice Motsepe, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), explained the decision made by its appeals board on Tuesday, March 16, that ruled Senegal had forfeited the final in January by walking off the field, turning its 1-0 win in extra time into a 3-0 default win for host nation Morocco. “The CAF disciplinary board took one decision. The CAF appeals board took a totally different position. And I’m told that Senegal is going to appeal, which is very important,” Motsepe said in ...

Former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has returned to full training camp as he prepares for a comeback to the ring this summer, months after surviving a fatal road accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close associates. The 34-year-old has been out of action since his sixth-round stoppage victory over Jake Paul in Miami on December 19. Shortly after, his career was put on hold following a devastating crash along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that resulted in the deaths of his personal trainer, Kevin Ayodele, and recovery therapist, Sina Ghami. Although Joshua survived the incident, he has spent the past few months recovering and grieving the loss of his colleagues. He initially made a gradual return to training at Finchley Amateur Boxing Club, where his care...

The Nigeria Football Federation has announced a 23-man squad for upcoming international friendlies against Iran and Jordan, with captain Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, and Ademola Lookman leading the list. Head coach Eric Chelle confirmed the selection on Wednesday, March 18, naming a balanced squad that includes both established players and new call-ups. The matches will now be played in Antalya, Turkey. The Super Eagles are set to face Iran on March 27 before taking on Jordan on March 31, with both fixtures moved from Amman due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Also included in the squad are Maduka Okoye, Semi Ajayi, Frank Onyeka, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Akor Adams, and Paul Onuachu. New faces in the squad include Emmanuel Fernandez, Philip Otele, and Collins Yira So...

Senegal captain, Idrissa Gueye, has voiced his disappointment following the decision by the Confederation of African Football to overturn the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final result—awarding the title to Morocco and stripping Senegal of their championship status. The ruling abruptly ended what had been a moment of celebration for Senegal, who initially believed they had secured victory in the final held in Rabat. The reversal has since sparked widespread reactions across the football community. Gueye, who led the team during the final, shared his thoughts via Instagram on March 18, reflecting on the situation with a mix of disappointment and perspective. “Titles, trophies, medals… all of that is only temporary,” he wrote, emphasizing that what truly matters is the safety and un...

The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football has acknowledged CAF’s Appeal Board ruling following the disputed AFCON 2025 final. In a statement on its official website, the federation said its appeal was aimed at ensuring proper application of competition rules, not disputing the sporting merit of any team. “The Federation reiterates that its approach has always been grounded in respect for the rules and stability of African competitions,” it stated. The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football also commended all participating nations, describing the tournament as significant for African football development. It said a detailed position would be released after a meeting of its governing bodies scheduled for Wednesday. The federation added that the forthcoming statement wou...