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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on Tuesday. The CAF Appeal Board ruled that Senegal forfeited the championship match and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory. Consequently, the Atlas Lions received the AFCON trophy.
The decision nullified Senegal’s on-field 1-0 extra-time victory from January 18. The CAF Appeal Board cited Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations as the basis for its ruling.
The Incident
The controversy began during the final in Rabat. Morocco earned a penalty in stoppage time after a VAR review. In response, Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest. The team remained off the field for approximately 15 to 17 minutes.
Senegalese head coach Pape Thiaw instructed his players to return to the dressing room. The match halted while officials attempted to resolve the situation. Eventually, the Senegalese team returned to the pitch. Morocco forward Brahim Diaz took the penalty, but the Senegalese goalkeeper saved it. The match proceeded to extra time, where Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye scored the only goal. The referee blew the final whistle with Senegal leading 1-0.
The Appeal Process
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) filed an official appeal following the match. The FRMF argued that Senegal’s walk-off constituted a forfeiture under tournament regulations. Initially, the CAF Disciplinary Board imposed fines exceeding 1 million on both federations and issued player bans. However, the board left the match result unchanged.
The FRMF pursued further appeal to the CAF Appeal Board. On March 17, 2026, the Appeal Board reversed the earlier decision.
CAF Statement
The CAF Appeal Board issued a detailed statement outlining its decision. The board declared: “The appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is declared admissible in form and the appeal is upheld.”
Furthermore, the statement read: “The CAF Disciplinary Board decision is set aside. The CAF Appeal Board further finds that the conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.”
The board also announced: “The protest lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is upheld. It is declared that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), through the conduct of its team, infringed Article 82 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.”
Finally, the ruling stated: “In application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).”
