Kurt Okraku is the President of the Ghana Football Association
President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, has defended Senegal following the chaotic incidents in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final against Morocco.
According to Kurt Okraku, finals should embrace elements of entertainment and drama to enhance commercialization and captivate fans across the continent and worldwide.
Despite admitting that Senegal “went overboard” with their protest against the penalty, the Second CAF Vice president congratulated the Terenga Lions for winning the 2025 AFCON.
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“Kudos to Senegal for being champions. Kudos to Morocco for being very, very competitive. People have read a lot of negativity into the behavior of Senegal. I tend to see it differently. Yes, they went a bit overboard, but they showed desire.
“If it’s about showbiz, we showed that part of showbiz. If it’s about entertainment, it showed. If it’s about conventional football, we showed it. If it’s about making money, in terms of patronage and commercialisation of the sport, we showed it in leaps and bounds,” he said during an interview with GTV Sports+.
Kurt Okraku added that Senegal demonstrated that they wanted to win the trophy at all cost.
“They showed that they wanted victory at all costs. And they showed that they wanted to compete regardless of the odds they thought confronted them. For me, that is football. What we saw in Morocco had all the ingredients you want to see in association football,” he added.
Meanwhile, CAF has sanctioned Senegal with fines and suspensions over the misconduct.
About the Game
Ismaila Sarr’s goal was disallowed after the referee ruled that there had been a foul on Achraf Hakimi prior to the cross that led to the goal.
In a dramatic turn of events, the host nation was awarded a penalty in the dying minutes of added time when Brahim Díaz was brought down in the box by a Senegalese defender.
Despite the controversy, Díaz missed the penalty, as his Panenka attempt was easily saved by Édouard Mendy, sending the game into extra time.
In the early stages of the first half of extra time, Pape Gueye struck a powerful shot into the top corner from the edge of the box to secure a 1–0 victory.
Watch the interview below:
“People have read a lot of negativity into Senegal’s behaviour. Yes, they went a bit overboard, but they showed their desire and determination to win, regardless of the odds” – GFA President Kurt Okraku on the AFCON 2025 final brouhaha.#GTVSports pic.twitter.com/UM4roaiNm2
— GTV SPORTS+ (@mygtvsports) February 3, 2026
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Meanwhile, watch the 2025 GhanaWeb Excellence Awards Nominees Unveiling below:
