CAF strips Senegal of AFCON title, Morocco declared winners

CAF strips Senegal of AFCON title, Morocco declared winners 

 

MOROCCO – In an unprecedented turn of events, the CAF Appeal Board has officially crowned host nation Morocco as the champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The decision follows a dramatic overturning of the final’s original result against Senegal.

The ruling comes after the Lions of Teranga staged a walk-off protest during the final match in Rabat. According to a detailed statement released by CAF, the match has been retrospectively recorded as a 3-0 forfeit victory for the Atlas Lions.

The Stoppage-Time Catalyst

The controversy erupted deep into stoppage time with the match balanced on a knife-edge. After Morocco’s Brahim Diaz went down in the penalty area, the referee initially allowed play to continue. However, following a VAR review, a penalty was awarded to the hosts.

Incensed by the decision, Senegal’s head coach Pape Thiaw signaled for his team to leave the pitch. The resulting delay and refusal to resume play led the CAF Appeal Board to cite a breach of tournament regulations.

The Legal Verdict

The Appeal Board ruled that Senegal’s actions fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, which govern team conduct and match abandonment. By vacating the field, Senegal was deemed to have forfeited the match.

“The appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is declared admissible and the appeal is upheld,” the CAF statement confirmed. “The Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of Morocco.”

Fines and Additional Sanctions

While Morocco was awarded the trophy, they did not escape the board’s scrutiny entirely. The ruling addressed several secondary incidents from the chaotic final:

* Ismaël Saibari: The Moroccan player’s fine was set aside, but he received a two-match suspension (one match suspended) for misconduct.

* Ball Boy Conduct: The FRMF was fined $50,000 for the behavior of the ball boys during the match.

* VAR Interference: A $100,000 fine against the FRMF was upheld regarding interference around the VAR review area.

* Laser Incident: A reduced fine of $10,000 was issued to the hosts for the use of lasers by fans.

This ruling effectively strips Senegal of what would have been their second continental title, handing Morocco their first AFCON trophy since 1976 under extraordinary administrative circumstances.