Liberian football icon and former Ballon d’Or winner George Manneh Weah has issued a scathing rebuttal to rumours suggesting he supports the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco.
In a statement dated March 18, 2026, the three-time African Footballer of the Year characterized the circulating social media posts as “blatantly false” and “fallacious,” warning those using his image to spread misinformation to desist immediately.
Beyond the personal clarification, the former Liberia President launched a robust defense of the integrity of the sport, arguing that CAF’s administrative intervention sets a dangerous precedent for African football.
Central to Weah’s argument is Law 5 of the FIFA Laws of the Game, which dictates that the referee’s decisions on the pitch are final.
He emphasized that during the final between Senegal and Morocco, the match officials chose to allow play to continue despite a stoppage, eventually concluding the game on the field.
“Football must be decided on the pitch, not re-decided after the final whistle,” Weah stated.
“Otherwise, the beautiful game will head down a slippery slope where committee room officials—and not match officials—will be making post-match rulings to override referees.”
The controversy stems from Tuesday’s ruling by the CAF Appeal Board, overturning the result of the match following a walk-off incident by the Senegalese team.
While CAF officials cited regulations regarding match abandonment, the former Lone Stars captain pointed out that the official referee report noted a “stoppage” rather than a “forfeiture,” recommending sanctions rather than a reversal of the result.
He argued that the committee’s decision has undermined confidence in the fairness of continental football, created a “travesty” that ignores the authority of the match officials and scarred the reputation of African football on the global stage.
The former AC Milan striker concluded his statement by calling on the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to intervene.
He urged the international body to move decisively to ensure that the “on-field” result is upheld, maintaining that there is no sporting justification for nullifying a completed match.
