In an unprecedented move that has shocked the footballing world, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially stripped Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, declaring Morocco the new champions.
The decision, announced on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, comes exactly two months after the chaotic final played in Rabat.
The CAF Appeal Board overturned the original 1-0 result, ruling that Senegal effectively forfeited the match when their players walked off the pitch in protest. According to the official statement, the final score has been retroactively recorded as a 3-0 victory for Morocco.
The Stoppage Time Chaos
To understand this landmark ruling, you have to look back at the dramatic scenes on January 18. With the match deadlocked at 0-0 in the dying moments of stoppage time, a series of controversial events unfolded:
- Disallowed Goal: Senegal believed they had scored a late winner, but the goal was ruled out for a foul on Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi.
- The Penalty Call: Moments later, VAR intervened to award Morocco a penalty after Brahim Díaz was brought down in the box.
- The Walk-off: Incensed by the decisions, Senegal coach Pape Thiaw instructed his players to leave the field. The game was delayed for nearly 15 minutes before captain Sadio Mané eventually convinced his teammates to return.
From On-Field Victory to Legal Forfeit
While the match eventually resumed—with Édouard Mendy famously saving Brahim Díaz’s “Panenka” penalty and Pape Gueye scoring an extra-time winner for Senegal—the legal consequences of the walk-off have now caught up with the Teranga Lions.
CAF cited Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON
Regulations, which state that any team refusing to play or leaving the ground without the referee’s permission is considered to have lost by forfeit. The Appeal Board found that Senegal’s 15-minute protest constituted a breach of these rules, leading to the automatic 3-0 scoreline in favor of the hosts.
The Fallout
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) stated that their appeal was about “requesting the application of competition regulations” rather than challenging Senegal’s sporting performance.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese Football Federation has already condemned the decision as “unjust and unprecedented,” confirming they will take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as soon as possible.
For now, Morocco is officially celebrating its second AFCON title, ending a 50-year wait since their first triumph in 1976.
