The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] has been plunged into unprecedented chaos after the CAF Appeal Board sensationally stripped Senegal of their title and declared hosts Morocco the winners of a final played two months ago.
In an unprecedented legal reversal announced late Tuesday, the CAF Appeal Board effectively erased the Teranga Lions’ on-field victory. Senegal’s triumph has been replaced by a forfeit ruling that has left the African football community in a state of disbelief, with Morocco declared 3–0 winners of the January final. The ruling hands the Atlas Lions their first continental crown since 1976.
The decision follows an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation [FRMF], which challenged the initial disciplinary ruling that had left the match result intact despite a chaotic 17-minute walkout by the Senegalese team.
THE MIDNIGHT RULING BY CAF
The CAF Appeal Board confirmed that Senegal had been “declared to have forfeited the final” after head coach Pape Thiaw and his players left the pitch in protest during a heated stoppage-time period in Rabat.
The statement reads: “The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the final match… with the result of the match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.”
CAF found that the Senegalese Football Federation [FSF] infringed Article 82, which explicitly states that any team refusing to play or leaving the ground before the end of regulation time without the referee’s permission will be considered the loser and eliminated.
CHAOS IN RABAT: A RECAP
The flashpoint occurred on 18 January with the score locked at 0-0. Referee Jean Jacques Ndala was advised by the Video Assistant Referee [VAR] to review a challenge by defender El Hadji Malick Diouf on Morocco’s Brahim Díaz. When Ndala pointed to the spot in the eighth minute of added time, Pape Thiaw—already incensed by a disallowed goal from Ismaila Sarr earlier—ushered his team off the field.
While captain Sadio Mané eventually convinced his teammates to return after a 17-minute delay, and Edouard Mendy went on to save Díaz’s tame “Panenka” attempt to force extra time, CAF has now ruled that the act of walking off was a terminal breach of the rules. Pape Gueye’s eventual extra-time winner, which sparked wild celebrations in Dakar, has been rendered null and void.
The Appeal Board also revised several heavy fines originally imposed during the initial disciplinary hearing, which totalled over $1 million [approximately R18.5 million].
The new breakdown of sanctions includes: Ismaël Saibari. The Morocco midfielder’s $100,000 [approx. R1.85 million] fine was set aside, though his two-match suspension remains.
The FRMF was fined $50,000 [approx. R925,000] for the conduct of ball boys during the final. A $100,000 (approx. R1.85 million) fine was confirmed against the Moroccan federation for interference around the review area of VAR. The fine for the use of lasers by fans was reduced to $10,000 [approx. R185,000].
‘COME AND GET IT’: NIAKHATÉ DEFIANT AS SENEGAL HEAD TO CAS TO SAVE AFCON TITLE
The reaction from the Senegalese camp has been one of pure vitriol. Lyon defender Moussa Niakhaté took to Instagram Stories, posting a picture of himself holding the trophy with the caption: “Come and get them. They are crazy.” West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf followed suit, posting his winner’s medal and questioning the sanity of the ruling.
The FSF has already confirmed it will escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] in Switzerland, calling the ruling “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, the Moroccan federation maintained a diplomatic tone. They stated their appeal was never intended to “challenge the sporting performance” of Senegal, but was a necessary request for the strict application of competition regulations to maintain stability in African football.
The ruling comes at a strange time for the new “champions,” as Morocco recently parted ways with head coach Walid Regragui on 5 March, just months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
And while the emotional memory of a million fans celebrating in the streets of Dakar cannot be erased, the official record books of African football have—for now—been rewritten in a boardroom in Cairo.
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