African football was thrown into turmoil after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and awarded the trophy to Morocco following a controversial final.
CAF’s appeals board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, overturning their 1-0 victory and recording it instead as a 3-0 win in favour of Morocco, the tournament hosts.
The decision stems from chaotic scenes during the final in Rabat, where Senegal players walked off the pitch in protest after a late penalty was awarded to Morocco, causing a lengthy disruption to the game.
CAF, in its ruling, said Senegal’s actions constituted a breach of competition regulations, effectively nullifying their win and handing Morocco the title. The governing body stated that the match was “declared to have been forfeited,” with the revised scoreline officially standing at 3-0.
The original final had been marred by controversy, including disputed refereeing decisions, fan unrest, and prolonged stoppages, prompting disciplinary reviews and legal challenges after the match.
Morocco, who had contested the outcome of the match, now emerge as champions — ending decades of wait for continental glory, while Senegal lose what would have been a historic title defence.
