Former Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has criticised CAF’s Appeal Board decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and award the trophy to Morocco despite winning the game in open play.
Troost-Ekong, who retired from international football late last year, described the ruling as a shocking blow to the progress made by African football. “This progress has been undermined by the shocking decision from the CAF appeal board,” he stated.
The 32-year-old added that the episode damages the integrity and reputation of the game on the continent. “This episode is bad for the integrity and reputation of African football. We have taken two steps backwards and it is self-inflicted damage.”
He pointed to the positive image from the tournament itself. “Fans around the globe saw a tournament with talented players and fantastic facilities,” Troost-Ekong noted, lamenting that the controversy has overshadowed those achievements.
The Dutch-born defender, who represented the Netherlands at youth level before switching to Nigeria, made 82 appearances for the Super Eagles. He was not part of Nigeria’s squad at the 2025 AFCON after announcing his retirement from international duty.
Troost-Ekong currently plays for Qatari top-flight side Al-Ahli, having joined the club in the last winter window. His strong comments add to the growing backlash against CAF’s handling of the Senegal-Morocco final dispute.
