Nearly three months after the initial event, the final match of the CAN 2025 continues to generate significant controversy. On January 18th in Rabat, Sénégal secured a 1-0 victory against Morocco following extra time. However, on March 17th, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) controversially reversed this outcome, awarding Morocco a 3-0 win by forfeit.

The CAF appeal jury justified its decision by invoking articles 82 and 84 of the regulations, which state that a team leaving the field or refusing to resume play is automatically deemed to have lost. This interpretation has been vehemently disputed by the Senegalese Football Federation, which has since escalated the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an effort to overturn the verdict.

As the football world awaits the CAS ruling, Edouard Mendy has broken his silence to champion the stance of the Lions de la Teranga. During an appearance on the Saudi podcast Mo Show Prod, the Al-Hilal goalkeeper presented an account of the events that directly challenges the accusations of collective abandonment put forth by the Moroccan side.

Mendy, who emerged as a hero in the final after successfully saving Brahim Diaz’s penalty, underscored a crucial detail. “People claimed we all left the pitch during the final, but that’s simply not true. There were still players present on the field. It’s vital to highlight this,” he asserted.

Edouard Mendy defends Sénégal’s position

To further substantiate his claim, Mendy referenced the official report from referee Jean-Jacques Ndala. He explained: “And that’s precisely why the referee did not blow the final whistle. His report noted that the match was paused momentarily, but it did not state that the team abandoned the game, because players remained on the pitch.”

For the former Chelsea goalkeeper, the match did indeed resume, which, in his view, invalidates any argument for a forfeiture. “The game paused briefly and then recommenced, so from that point, there’s no need to discuss what happened because the match continued until its conclusion. If the entire team had been absent, we wouldn’t be having this conversation today. But that was not the case,” Mendy clarified.

Nevertheless, this perspective doesn’t entirely resolve all ambiguities. According to Afrik Foot, the official report, supported by video evidence, indicates that nearly the entire team, with the notable exception of Sadio Mané, did indeed leave the playing surface for several minutes. This reportedly included Edouard Mendy himself, who was observed among the first to head towards the dressing rooms. The conflicting narratives persist as the football community eagerly anticipates the definitive verdict from the CAS.