CAF has stripped Senegal of their AFCON 2025 title after ruling they forfeited the final match. Morocco’s appeal was upheld, and the result was officially changed to a 3-0 victory. Morocco are now confirmed as African champions for the first time since 1976.
The Confederation of African Football has stripped Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded the trophy to Morocco following a successful appeal by the Moroccan football authorities.
The decision comes two months after the final played on January 18, 2026 in Rabat, which ended in confusion after Senegal players briefly walked off the pitch late in the match. Senegal had initially won the game 1-0 after extra time and were crowned champions.
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According to CAF, the ruling was made under Article 84 of the AFCON regulations. The governing body declared that Senegal forfeited the match, and the result has now been officially recorded as a 3-0 victory for Morocco.
The final took a dramatic turn when Morocco were awarded a penalty late in normal time. Senegal players left the field in protest, accompanied by their head coach, before later returning to continue the match. Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the penalty, and the game proceeded to extra time.
Senegal went on to score and secure a 1-0 win. However, Morocco challenged the outcome, submitting an official appeal to CAF, arguing that Senegal’s actions during the match violated tournament regulations.
In its statement, CAF said the appeal by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football was upheld, and a previous decision by the disciplinary board was set aside. The appeal board found that Senegal’s conduct fell within Articles 82 and 84, which address team behavior and forfeiture.
CAF stated: “The Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match… with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.”
The ruling means Morocco are now officially African champions for the first time since 1976, marking a historic moment for the national team after decades without the continental title.
The appeal board also addressed other incidents from the match. Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct, with his suspension reduced to two matches, one of which is suspended. A previously imposed fine of USD 100,000 was cancelled.
CAF further ruled on organizational issues involving Morocco, including ball boy conduct, interference around the VAR review area, and a laser incident. Some fines were reduced, including a penalty of USD 50,000 for the ball boys and USD 10,000 for the laser incident, while a USD 100,000 fine related to VAR interference was upheld.
This decision closes one of the most controversial AFCON finals in recent years, with the official record now reflecting Morocco as champions and Senegal forfeiting the match.
