Senegal's Idrissa Gueye ready to return AFCON medal

Senegal midfielder, Idrissa Gueye has revealed that he is prepared to return the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations gold medal.

According to the Everton midfielder, the Terenga Lions of Senegal won the trophy fair and square but he is prepared to return the medal if that will ease the tension between his country and Morocco.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in extra-time in the January final in Rabat, but CAF punished them last week for their 17-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."

"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 told Canal+ on Saturday after his Everton side's 3-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League.

Reacting to the decision of the Senegalese FA to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, he said "If it were up to me, I would have told the federation not to appeal."

JE