Morocco crowned AFCON champions as CAF annuls Senegal's victory
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 18.03.26. | 08:02
As a result, the earlier decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board was set aside, the protest by the FRMF was upheld, and the match has been officially recorded as a 3-0 victory in favour of Morocco
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final has been officially overturned, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board declaring Morocco as champions after annulling Senegal’s on-field victory.
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Senegal had originally won the final 1-0 after extra time in the match played on Sunday, 18 January, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal. However, the fixture was overshadowed by a major incident in stoppage time of regulation, when the referee awarded Morocco a penalty with the score tied at 0-0.
The decision triggered protests from Senegal’s players, who left the field of play for approximately 17 minutes before eventually returning. Upon resumption, Brahim Diaz saw his penalty saved, and the match proceeded to extra time, where Senegal found the breakthrough, Pape Gueye.
Subsequently, the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) lodged an appeal challenging the outcome, citing breaches of CAF regulations. After reviewing the case, the CAF Appeal Board ruled that the conduct of the Senegal team fell within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations.
The Board found that Senegal’s temporary withdrawal from the pitch constituted an infringement of Article 82 and amounted to a refusal to continue the match. In application of Article 84, Senegal were therefore deemed to have forfeited the final.
As a result, the earlier decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board was set aside, the protest by the FRMF was upheld, and the match has now been officially recorded as a 3-0 victory in favour of Morocco.
In its detailed ruling, the Appeal Board confirmed that the FRMF’s appeal was admissible and successful, while all other motions or requests not expressly granted were dismissed.
The decision also addressed several related disciplinary matters arising from the match. Ismael Saibari was found to have committed misconduct in violation of Articles 82 and 83(1) of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
His sanction was amended to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, while a previously imposed fine of USD 100,000 was set aside.
CAF further ruled that the FRMF was responsible for the conduct of ball boys during the match, with the corresponding fine reduced to USD 50,000.
A separate fine of USD 100,000 relating to interference around the VAR review area was upheld, while a sanction linked to the use of lasers was partially upheld, with the fine reduced to USD 10,000.
