CAF strips Senegal of AFCON title, awards trophy to Morocco

The Confederation of African Football has stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded the championship to Morocco after upholding Morocco’s appeal over the chaotic final in Rabat. In an official Appeal Board statement, CAF said Senegal forfeited the match under Article 84 of the competition regulations and that the result must be recorded as 3–0 in favour of Morocco. 

The ruling stems from the AFCON final on 18 January, when Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest after Morocco were awarded a late penalty. Although Senegal later returned, the match resumed, and Senegal originally went on to win in extra time, CAF’s Appeal Board has now ruled that the walk-off itself constituted a breach serious enough to trigger forfeiture. 

CAF’s statement said Morocco’s football federation had successfully appealed the earlier disciplinary decision and that Senegal’s conduct fell within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations. The ruling also amended disciplinary sanctions linked to the final, including a partial reduction in the suspension imposed on Morocco’s Ismaël Saibari. 

The decision has triggered immediate backlash in Senegal. Reuters reported that Senegal intend to challenge the ruling, while AP said Senegalese officials described the decision as unacceptable and are considering escalation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. 

For Morocco, the ruling delivers a second AFCON title and their first since 1976. For African football, it opens a fresh debate about match governance, player conduct, the limits of protest during play, and the credibility of post-match adjudication at the continent’s biggest tournament.