The former Senegalese international El Hadji Diouf reignited the debate over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final with provocative statements in which he downplayed the significance of his country's withdrawal during the final match.

The statements by Diouf came on the sidelines of his participation in an exhibition match held in the French capital, Paris, on the occasion of the opening of a mini-stadium in Concorde Square, where he spoke about the decision of the Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football.

The former star commented on the decision to consider the Senegal national team as withdrawn and defeated by the Moroccan national team with a score of (3-0), confirming that the case has been referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and pointing out the need to wait for the final ruling with confidence in the legal process.

Diouf emphasized that the perspective of football fans differs from official decisions, saying that any follower of the game would consider Senegal the current African champion, according to his expression.

He added that leaving the field is not the core issue for him, explaining that the most important thing is the result of the match on the field, as he believes that Senegal won with a goal to nil, scored by Pape Gueye.

He concluded his remarks by emphasizing that this victory, in his view, is what matters to the fans, considering that there is a sense of joy among the supporters of his national team with this achievement.