CAF overturns 2025 AFCON final result, declares Morocco winners

CAF has overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which was initially won by Senegal, defeating Morocco 1-0.

The CAF Appeal Committee, in a statement on Tuesday, declared that Morocco won the match 3-0 and announced the Atlas Lions as champions.

“The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (‘the Match’), with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF),” it stated.

Several Senegalese players controversially walked off the pitch in Rabat during the final on January 18 in protest when Morocco were awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time.

After Senegal’s players eventually returned having been coaxed back onto the pitch by captain Sadio Mane, Morocco missed the penalty and Pape Gueye went on to score the goal in extra time that gave his team a 1-0 victory.

CAF said that having studied Morocco’s appeal, “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match” and the result was “officially recorded as 3-0” in favour of Morocco.

The CAF Appeals Committee justified its decision by applying Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, which state that if a team “refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered (loser) and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition”.

CAF imposes sanctions on Senegal, Morocco over AFCON final misconduct

The articles add that the team contravening the regulations “will lose its match by 3-0”.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said in a statement its appeal “was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition regulations”.

“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, to the clarity of the competitive framework, and to the stability of African competitions,” the FRMF added.

Senegal’s football authorities said they will appeal “as soon as possible” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“The Senegalese Football Federation condemns this unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which brings African football into disrepute,” it said in a statement.

In late January, CAF imposed a series of disciplinary sanctions, including fines amounting to several hundred thousand euros, on the federations of both countries for unsportsmanlike conduct and violations of fair play principles.

The appeal trial of 18 Senegalese supporters, imprisoned since the final and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to one year for “hooliganism,” which was scheduled to take place on Monday, has been postponed until March 30.

The Star