Skip to main content

Featured Post

Trump Considers U.S. Withdrawal from NATO, Calls Alliance “Paper Tiger”

  Donald Trump has revealed that the United States is considering withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, following disagreements over the alliance’s stance on the conflict involving Iran. In an interview with The Telegraph published on Wednesday, Trump described NATO as a “paper tiger,” raising concerns about its strength and relevance in current global security matters. The U.S. leader expressed dissatisfaction with NATO’s refusal to support military action related to Iran, a position that appears to have widened the gap between Washington and its long-standing allies. Trump’s remarks signal a renewed wave of criticism against the alliance, which has historically served as a cornerstone of Western defense cooperation. His stance also revives long-standing debates about the U.S. role within NATO and whether the country should continue its commitment to the bloc. Security analysts warn that any move by the United States to withdraw from NATO could significantly res...
Post a Comment

BREAKING: Fact Check — No Official Statement from CAF Stripping Senegal AFCON Trophy

 


Contrasting Lille vs Manchester United and the AFCON 2025 Final



Oriontimes Editorial Board | Osogbo, Nigeria | March 18, 2026 



Reports have circulated claiming that Senegal national football team were stripped of their AFCON 2025 title following a controversial walk-off in the final. However, CAF’s official channels have not published any statement confirming this claim, leaving the story unverified at its source.



CAF’s Official Position

Following the AFCON 2025 final, CAF initially confirmed Senegal as champions after rejecting Morocco’s protest. The governing body imposed sanctions and fines on both teams for unsporting behavior during the match but made no publicly accessible statement stripping Senegal of the title.




CAF’s disciplinary framework does allow for extreme measures, such as disqualification or forfeiture, but these are reserved for serious breaches like match-fixing, ineligible players, or refusal to continue a match, conditions not met in this case.




A European Comparison: Lille vs Manchester United (2007)



In February 2007, during a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match, Lille OSC briefly walked off the pitch in protest after Ryan Giggs of Manchester United F.C. scored from a quick free kick they thought was taken prematurely.


 • Lille players returned within minutes.


• The match resumed, and the goal stood.



This incident demonstrates how on-field disputes can be resolved without stripping teams of results when games are completed and referee authority is respected.



Why AFCON Is Different, Yet Similar



While CAF regulations differ from UEFA, the principle remains the same:


• Walking off alone does not automatically trigger forfeiture.


• Any title-stripping would require major misconduct beyond brief protest.



This contrast highlights the importance of distinguishing media reports from verified governing body announcements.



Sensational headlines about Senegal being stripped of the AFCON trophy lack a primary source from CAF’s official channels as of now.



Conclusion


The controversy surrounding Senegal’s AFCON 2025 final win underscores how quickly football narratives can spread online. Comparisons with the Lille vs Manchester United match show that brief walk-offs, when resolved on the field, do not usually alter results.



Until CAF issues an official, visible statement confirming any reversal, Senegal remains AFCON 2025 champions, and claims to the contrary should be treated with caution.

Comments

Post a Comment

Join the conversation!
Have insights, corrections, or questions about this news story? Drop your comment below. We value civil, fact-based discussion.

Popular posts from this blog

BREAKING: Esa-Oke Youths Reunite as Survivors, Caution Pelumi against revisionism

....we’re not your campaign slogan Once upon a glorious, chaotic 2017, practically every able-bodied youth in Esa-Oke held honorary title in the land: Personal Assistant to Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi. No interviews. No pay. Just passion, blind loyalty, and the stamina to chase him from one campaign ground to the next like a political body double. From Comrade Mainframe to Comrade Swiss, from Yinka Oba to the humble football boys who carried cones like national flags, we were there. We were the movement. Until, of course. Now in 2025, Barrister Pelumi, clearly inspired by a Netflix political drama is on a media tour telling anyone who’ll listen that he "settled everyone who worked for him." Settled who, please? Maybe in his dreams or in the metaverse. In the real world, the story’s a bit different. Those of us from Obokun, who hustled day and night, got exactly zero: no thank you, no handshake. Take Sami, now a former Ward 7 councillor, no thanks from Pelumi. Folusho? Aregbe...
Post a Comment
Read more

BREAKING: PDP Bleeds in Oriade: Commissioner Loses 14 Party Leaders to Wole Oke in Home Ward

In a significant political shift, 14 grassroots leaders, including prominent women and youth coordinators from Ward 11, covering Ijeda and Iloko in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State, have resigned from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and pledged allegiance to Hon. Wole Oke’s growing political camp in the All Progressives Congress (APC). The mass resignation, formalized in a jointly signed letter, marks a deepening crack within the PDP structure in Oriade, as key mobilizers abandon the party over what they describe as years of marginalization, poor internal democracy, and a lack of direction. Their defection is also seen as a major boost to Wole Oke’s political momentum within the APC, following his recent and controversial departure from the PDP. “We are grateful for the opportunities and experiences we had as PDP members,” the group stated, “but the party no longer reflects our values or aspirations. We believe in Hon. Wole Oke’s leadership and vision, and we are proud to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Assassination Attempt: Police can’t deny what’s on their desk, says Amotekun boss

  The Corps Commander of the Osun Amotekun Corps , High Chief Dr Hon. Adekunle Isaac Omoyele , who is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital following an attempted assassination on his life on Monday, has strongly refuted the claims made by the Osun State Police Spokeperson regarding the incident. Reacting to the statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), who claimed that investigations had not commenced because the Commander had not provided evidence of the attack, the Amotekun boss expressed deep disappointment, labeling the police response as insensitive and misleading. "It is shocking that a police spokesperson would say there is no evidence of an attack when the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ota-Efun Division — the nearest jurisdiction to the incident — was immediately informed," the Commander said. "Officers from that division visited the scene the same night, assessed the damage, evacuated the vehicle, and advised me to seek ...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Will Pay $10M If Nnamdi Kanu Curtail Insecurity, Ezendigbo Challenge FG, S' East Politicians

The Founder of the Better Nigeria For Better People, Chief. CBN Onwuasoanya Ezendigbo, has lambasted the former Governor of Anambra State and the Presidential candidate in the last general elections under the Labour Party, Peter Obi, for facilitating efforts towards Nnamdi Kanu's release from detention. Ezendigbo, in a statement released on Thursday said that, Nnamdi Kanu lack power to stop insecurity in Southeast Nigeria. According to the former Presidential Aspirant, "Let's have a road map for a 2-month cease-fire agreement to demonstrate that to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) would stop insecurity. He's just a political football fan for politicians, he said." "I am challenging both the federal government and Southeast politicians with $10M (Ten Million Dollars), they should tell Nnamdi Kanu if there will be no sit-at-home, no kidnapping in the region, that will give guarantee that he has control over insecurity in the southea...
Post a Comment
Read more