Midfielder Idrissa Gueye said that his Senegal side deserved to be Africa Cup of Nations champions but he was ready to “hand back the medals” to Morocco if it eases tension between the two countries.
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in extra-time in the January final in Rabat but CAF punished them last week for their 15-minute walk-off during the match, overturning the result and awarding a 3-0 win and the title to hosts Morocco.
”I personally commit to collecting the medals and maybe giving them back to Morocco if that can ease tensions between the two countries,” Gueye told Canal+ on Saturday after his Everton side’s 3-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League.
”It’s just ridiculous… a football match is won on the pitch, that’s what we did in Morocco.
”We did what we had to do on the pitch, we won that match.
”We deserve to be African champions. We are the African champions as far as we’re concerned. Titles are won on the pitch, not in offices.”
Gueye, who captained Senegal in the AFCON final in place of the suspended Kalidou Koulibaly, took issue, however, with his federation’s decision to appeal CAF’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
”If it were up to me, I would have told the federation not to appeal,” he said.
I’m ready to hand back our AFCON medal if …, says Senegal stand-in captain
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