21.3.2026
Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi is going viral with a quote attributed to him saying he rejects CAF Appeal Board ruling stripping Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and handing it to Morocco.
But fact-checkers revealed that it might the work of social media content creators. Various media online had run with the quote: “My mum told me to reject the Africa Cup of Nations trophy. I’m officially rejecting the trophy and hope my teammates do the same.
“We had a chance to win it but we failed to win it. That’s football, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
“Senegal beat us fairly and deserved the win. It will be unfair to ruin their joy after the hard work they put in.
“I respect the CAF decision but I’m officially rejecting the trophy. I didn’t win 2025 AFCON. Congratulations to Senegal once again.”
However, checks revealed that the Paris St Germain defender had not made the statement. Not from his social media platforms, from interviews had Hakimi said such. He has not made any public statement on the issue.