The Confederation of African Football (Caf) Appeals Board has stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title, declaring the team forfeited the final and awarding a 3–0 victory to Morocco.
In its ruling, the Appeals Board found that the Senegal national team, through its conduct during the final, violated Articles 82 and 84 of the Afcon regulations, warranting forfeiture of the match.
The result has now been officially recorded in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
The decision follows an appeal lodged by the Moroccan federation challenging earlier findings by CAF’s Disciplinary Board.
The Appeals Board declared the appeal admissible and upheld it, setting aside the previous disciplinary decision.
It further ruled that the protest filed by the FRMF was valid, concluding that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) had infringed tournament regulations through the actions of its team.
“In application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3-0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football,” the ruling stated.
The decision marks a dramatic reversal of the original outcome of the final played in Morocco, where Senegal had initially been declared winners following a 1–0 victory after extra time in a match overshadowed by controversy.
The final descended into chaos after a disputed penalty decision in stoppage time, prompting Senegal’s technical bench to protest and briefly halt play, while sections of fans attempted to invade the pitch.
The incident triggered a wave of disciplinary sanctions from Caf against both teams.
In its latest ruling, the Appeals Board also addressed individual and organizational sanctions arising from the match.
Morocco international Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct under Caf disciplinary provisions.
However, his punishment was reduced to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, and a previously imposed fine of $100,000 was overturned.
The Appeals Board further held the Moroccan federation responsible for the conduct of ball boys during the match, though it reduced the associated fine to $50,000.
A separate fine of $100,000 related to interference around the VAR review area was upheld, while a sanction linked to the use of lasers by supporters was reduced to $10,000.
The ruling follows sustained pressure from Morocco, which had argued that Caf’s earlier sanctions against Senegal were insufficient given the severity of the incidents.
The Moroccan federation had pledged to pursue all legal avenues to challenge the outcome.
Senegal, through the FSF, had earlier indicated it would accept Caf’s disciplinary measures and would not pursue further appeals.
The Appeals Board’s decision is expected to spark significant debate across African football, raising fresh questions about disciplinary consistency, tournament governance, and the handling of high-stakes matches.
