CAF Second Vice President Kurt Okraku has rejected claims that there was any attempt to influence the outcome of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in favour of host nation Morocco.
The allegations surfaced during the tournament following a series of contentious refereeing decisions that appeared to benefit the hosts, who eventually lost the final to Senegal. Given Morocco’s role as host of several CAF competitions in recent years, some observers suggested the continental body was keen to reward the country with the AFCON title.
“There can never be a conspiracy in the leadership, myself inclusive, to reward Morocco. That would never happen,” Okraku said on Metro TV. “CAF, by its nature and structure, will never manipulate any system to favour a member association.”
Morocco 2025 was widely praised for its organisation, atmosphere and quality of football, but the tournament was also dogged by controversy. This included Senegal’s protest during the final, when players briefly left the pitch before returning to secure their second AFCON title.
Okraku admitted that some incidents were not ideal, but maintained that they should not overshadow the competition.
“Yes, the scenes on that day were not what you expect, but I see them as part of the excitement of the game,” he said. “They showed how much Senegal wanted to win.”
He also defended referees, stressing that officiating errors are part of football worldwide.
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