Mendy: Morocco’s title felt completely unexpected, like an ‘April Fool’s prank’

Mendy told “The Mo Show” podcast: “What happened against Morocco was unprecedented for me; it was the first time anyone from an opposition bench had taken my towel during a match, let alone a final.”

“Unfortunately, these things can happen in football, and you have to accept them. It was a big match, so I stayed focused and ignored the banter, with help from our substitute goalkeeper.”

He continued: “The match against Morocco was the toughest of my career given the events that unfolded. We played under incredible pressure, whether from the fans, altercations with players, or other strange occurrences.”

“The Moroccan fans were incredibly loud. It’s tough to face the host nation in a 80,000-seater stadium; when I went out to warm up, I thought, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this in my life’.”

Even two days later, the roar of the crowd was still ringing in my ears.”

Mendy defended his side’s African title, stating: “We completed the match, secured the win and celebrated our triumph with widespread recognition—all signs of a deserved championship.”

“We produced a stunning performance against Morocco, who rank among the top 10 teams in the world; they have real quality.”

He added: “The Moroccan national team has been performing at a high level for more than five years and deserves its ranking. They reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and were close to achieving great things, but we came out on top and won the Africa Cup of Nations in front of everyone.”

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He added: “We were deeply shocked when CAF stripped us of the title and handed it to Morocco; the decision came out of nowhere. When I saw the news, I thought it was a joke.”

“I assumed the websites had simply erred, so I checked the Confederation of African Football’s site directly. We thought it was an ‘April Fool’s joke’, but it was real.”

On the ongoing appeal, he added: “The Senegalese Football Federation is working tirelessly to reclaim the title, and there can only be one outcome: Senegal being crowned African champions.”

Regarding the Senegalese players leaving the pitch, the veteran goalkeeper explained that contrary to reports, the entire team did not abandon the field; some players remained, and play eventually resumed.

He added that match reports confirmed play was briefly halted before resuming normally, and had the team actually left the field entirely, the referee would have awarded Morocco the win by default.

Mendy criticised FIFA, stating: “FIFA’s well-known motto is that sport unites the world, but what happened against Morocco was the complete opposite.”

He added that the team had been overwhelmed by support after CAF’s ruling, noting, “We’ve gained many new fans.”

He added that his son had been overjoyed after winning the title, and he did not know how he would break the news of the tournament’s withdrawal to him, describing it as “a difficult situation.”

Mendy addressed the controversy, explaining: “Some people thought we were being arrogant or manipulating CAF’s decision, but in reality we hadn’t planned any of this.”

He added that the celebration had been planned and paid for in advance, allowing the team to lift the trophy in front of everyone. “We didn’t intend to offend anyone, even though we don’t accept CAF’s decision,” he stated.