CAF overturns Senegal’s AFCON final win, declares Morocco champions

Morocco Declared AFCON 2025 Champions After CAF Overturns Senegal’s Final Victory

The Confederation of African Football has stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title in an unprecedented ruling, declaring Morocco the continental champions nearly two months after the chaotic final in Rabat.

The CAF Appeal Board announced Tuesday that Senegal “is declared to have forfeited the Final Match,” with the result now recorded as a 3-0 default victory for host nation Morocco. The decision overturns Senegal’s 1-0 extra-time win on January 18 and marks the first time an AFCON final result has been reversed through an administrative ruling.espn

A Final Mired in Chaos

The January final at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium descended into disorder when Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty deep into stoppage time following a VAR review for a challenge on Brahim Diaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf. Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw directed his players off the pitch in protest, halting play for roughly 15 minutes.aljazeera

It was Sadio Mane who convinced his teammates to return to the field. When play resumed, Diaz attempted a Panenka-style penalty that was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The match went to extra time, where Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye scored a stunning strike in the 94th minute to give Senegal what appeared to be a historic second continental title.lemonde

The Boardroom Reversal

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation filed a formal appeal shortly after the final, arguing that Senegal’s walkoff constituted a withdrawal from the match under tournament regulations. An initial CAF disciplinary hearing in January imposed more than $1 million in fines and suspensions on players and officials from both sides but left the result intact.myjoyonline

The Appeal Board, however, took a different view. Citing Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations — which state that a team that “refuses to play or departs the field before the match concludes without the referee’s consent” shall be “deemed the loser” — the board ruled that Senegal’s departure constituted a formal abandonment. The earlier disciplinary board decision was set aside.cafonline

Morocco also faced financial penalties in the ruling: a $100,000 fine for interference around the VAR review area was upheld, while fines for laser use by fans and a ball boy incident were reduced to $10,000 and $50,000, respectively.sportbible

What Comes Next

The case may not be over. According to ESPN and Al Jazeera, CAF Appeal Board decisions can be challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport within ten days, and reports indicate Senegal intends to pursue that route. For CAS to reverse the ruling, it would need to find that CAF misapplied its own regulations — a high legal bar that leaves Morocco, for now, as Africa’s crowned champions for the first time in 50 years.sportingnews