Former Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, has criticized the Confederation of African Football’s decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, title.
In a ruling announced earlier this month, CAF upheld a petition from the Moroccan Football Federation, nullifying Senegal’s victory in the AFCON final played in January.
The top African football governing body cited a regulation breach: Senegal’s players temporarily walked off the pitch during the chaotic closing stages of the encounter to protest a penalty awarded to the hosts.
Speaking on the development with fellow former Super Eagles player Ifeanyi Udeze on Brila FM, Ighalo said that CAF had given former footballers like Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher the power to mock the AFCON.
Recall that Carragher had last year described the competition as inferior to other competitions like the Euros and the Copa America.
”This AFCON took us (Africa) ten steps forward, but CAF’s decision drags us five steps backward. It has given people leverage to start disparaging African football again,” Ighalo said.
“I always challenge the foreign media outlets that talk down on AFCON and try to discourage players from attending.
“But what just happened brings the competition down again. Now you are allowing the likes of Jamie Carragher to say things they should not be saying about African football. Things they have wanted to say for a long time. This just gives them more power to criticize the tournamen