Title: Guardiola Reacts as CAF Overturns AFCON Final, Hands Morocco Title Date Published: 21 March 2026 Description: Manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, has described the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco as “a surprise.”The reaction follows a controversial ruling by Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board on March 17, which overturned the initial result of the final and declared Morocco champions.CAF had earlier annulled Senegal’s 1–0 victory, citing violations of Articles 82 and 84 after the team reportedly walked off the pitch in protest over a stoppage-time penalty decision. The match was subsequently awarded as a 3–0 forfeit in favour of Morocco.The decision has sparked widespread debate across the football community, with notable figures such as Ahmed Hossam Mido, Roger Milla, and George Weah questioning the ruling.Reacting to the development, Guardiola offered a cautious but critical perspective, noting that he lacked full details of the case.“It’s a surprise,” he said. “I don’t have a proper opinion because I don’t know the reason why. I didn’t read, didn’t see.”The Spaniard, however, hinted at the opaque nature of such decisions, suggesting they are often taken out of public view.“But it’s a decision made behind the scenes. What happens everywhere is what we see; it’s not now, it always happens behind the scenes, and you don’t see their faces,” he added.The AFCON final, played on January 18, had originally ended in a narrow victory for Senegal after a tense and controversial encounter before CAF’s intervention altered the outcome. Attached Images: e95cfbe8c72649cb922216d293bc95172d40e37d229bb8edf3add247556c2d98.jpg Attached Video: None