The Confederation of African Football has officially awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title to Morocco after ruling that Senegal forfeited the final match.
In a decision announced on Tuesday, March 17, CAF’s Appeal Board declared Morocco 3-0 winners following a breach of tournament regulations by the Senegal national team.
The ruling overturns the earlier on-field result where Senegal had beaten Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the final played on January 18.
According to CAF, the decision follows an appeal lodged by the Moroccan football federation challenging an earlier ruling by the Disciplinary Board.
The controversy stems from a dramatic moment during the final when Senegal players walked off the pitch for nearly 15 minutes in protest over a late penalty awarded to Morocco. Although the penalty was missed and the match resumed, Senegal went on to win the game.
However, CAF determined that the actions by the Senegal team constituted a breach of competition rules, leading to the forfeiture of the match.
Beyond the title decision, CAF also issued disciplinary rulings on several incidents that occurred during the final.
Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari was found guilty of misconduct, but his punishment was reduced to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended. A previously imposed fine of Ksh 12.9 million was also scrapped.
CAF further held the Moroccan federation accountable for misconduct involving ball boys, reducing the related fine to Ksh 6.4 million. However, a separate fine of Ksh 12.9 million linked to interference around the VAR review area was upheld.
Additional sanctions related to a laser incident were also reduced, with the fine lowered to approximately Ksh 1.2 million.
The decision has sparked widespread reaction across the football world, with many fans expressing confusion and disagreement over the outcome.
The Senegalese Football Federation has since rejected the ruling, terming it unfair and vowing to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
As the controversy continues, the CAF ruling has now officially changed the record books, handing Morocco the AFCON 2025 crown.
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