Nuno Espirito Santo says Senegal’s players “deserve” to be recognised as champions despite the decision to strip them of the Africa Cup of Nations title.
The West Ham United head coach was reacting to the ruling by the Confederation of African Football, which awarded the 2025 trophy to Morocco national football team following a disciplinary review.
The decision has sparked widespread debate after Senegal national football team were stripped of the title weeks after their victory in the final.
Speaking ahead of West Ham’s Premier League fixture, Espirito Santo said he was surprised by the outcome but stood by what he saw during the match.
“I watched the game at the time… what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch,” he said.
The former Nottingham Forest manager added that Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf should still consider himself an African champion.
“For me, Malick is a champion. He deserves a medal. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that in football.”
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The controversy centres on events late in the final, when El Hadji Malick Diouf was adjudged to have fouled Brahim Diaz in stoppage time. Senegal’s players protested the decision and briefly left the pitch, before being persuaded to return by captain Sadio Mane.
The resulting penalty was missed, and Senegal went on to win the match, a result later overturned by CAF, which ruled the walk-off breached competition regulations.
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The ruling has divided opinion across football, with some former players criticising CAF, while others like Espirito Santo have focused on the events of the match itself.
“All the decisions that came after that, I don’t know,” he added. “I remember the final… they won it.”
West Ham are battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League and face a crucial run of fixtures, including a trip to Aston Villa.
