CAF's landmark ruling overturns Senegal AFCON victory, names Morocco champions

CAF has overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which was initially won by Senegal 1-0.

On Tuesday, the CAF Appeal Board ruled that Morocco won the match 3-0 and announced the Atlas Lions as champions.

The Moroccan FA had appealed the earlier ruling of CAF’s disciplinary board against its complaints that Senegal national team players had breached Articles 82 and 84 of AFCON regulations when they staged a walkout in the final.

AFCON’s Article 82 says, “If, for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match, or refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the Match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered the loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition. The same shall apply for the teams previously disqualified by decision of CAF”.

Article 84 of the rule added that “the team which contravenes the provisions of articles 82 and 83 shall be eliminated for good from the competition. This team will lose its Match by 3-0 unless the opponent has scored a more advantageous result at the time when the Match was interrupted; in this case, this score will be maintained. The Organising Committee may adopt further measures.”

In its ruling, the CAF Appeal Board upheld Morocco’s protest and set aside the Disciplinary Committee’s decision.

“The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) Appeal Board decided today that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”), with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF),” the statement reads.

“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 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.

“In application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).”

The 2025 AFCON descended into row after the referee, after consulting VAR, gave Morocco a late penalty over a foul on Brahim Diaz.

In protest of the decision, Pape Thiaw ordered his players and staff off the pitch and into the dugout. The Senegalese players and coaching staff’s protest lasted almost 20 minutes before they returned to the field for the match to resume.

Senegal survived the penalty call as Brahim Diaz had his Panenka kick saved, before Pape Gueye’s screamer for the Teranga Lions in the match that ended 1-0.

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