CAF Second Vice President and Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku has come to the defence of Senegal following their controversial behaviour during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, insisting the much-criticised actions were driven by an overwhelming desire to win.

The dramatic final saw Senegal edge Morocco 1–0 after extra time but was overshadowed by chaos, including a 15-minute stoppage, a pitch invasion, and physical confrontations after a disputed penalty decision. Tensions escalated to the point where Senegal’s players walked off the pitch on the instructions of head coach Pape Thiaw.

CAF later handed down heavy sanctions, fining Senegal $615,000, banning coach Thiaw for five matches with an additional $100,000 fine, and imposing suspensions on several players. Despite these measures, Okraku offered a different interpretation of events.

“People have read a lot of negativity into the behaviour of Senegal,” Okraku said in an interview with GTV Sports Plus. “I tend to see it the other way. Yes, they went a bit overboard, but they showed that they had the desire, they showed that they wanted victory at all costs, and they showed that they wanted to compete, regardless of the odds they may have thought confronted them. And for me, that is football.”

His comments come amid Morocco’s decision to challenge CAF’s sanctions, describing them as excessive. However, CAF has already rejected Morocco’s appeal to overturn the match result, confirming Senegal as AFCON champions.

Okraku’s stance reflects a more nuanced view within African football leadership, framing the incident as an extreme display of competitive spirit rather than solely an act of misconduct.