The Confederation of African Football said Tuesday that Morocco have been declared winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after Senegal were stripped of the title for forfeiting the final following a protest.
CAF’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal forfeited the match under Article 84 of the competition regulations, with the result recorded as a 3-0 victory for the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.
During the final on Jan. 18, 2026, the Senegal national team appeared to leave the pitch in protest against Morocco after a penalty decision went against them.
Senegal later returned to the field and initially claimed the title with a 1-0 win.
The decision followed an appeal by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football over the application of Articles 82 and 84.
The Appeal Board upheld the appeal, set aside an earlier ruling by the CAF Disciplinary Board and found that the conduct of the Senegal team fell within the scope of the regulations.
CAF said the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, through the conduct of its team, infringed Article 82, leading to the forfeiture ruling and the reversal of the final result.
The Moroccan football federation welcomed the decision and said it “reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, ensuring clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions.”
The Senegal football federation strongly criticized the ruling, saying “the Senegalese Football Federation denounces an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision that discredits African football.”
The Appeal Board also issued a series of related decisions stemming from incidents during the match.
It partially upheld an appeal concerning Morocco midfielder Ismaël Saibari, confirming misconduct but reducing his sanction to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended. A fine of $100,000 against the player was set aside.
CAF upheld findings that Morocco was responsible for the conduct of ball boys during the match, while reducing the related fine to $50,000.
A separate fine of $100,000 linked to interference around the video review area was confirmed.
The Appeal Board also reduced a fine tied to a laser incident to $10,000. All other motions were dismissed.
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For more information on Articles 82 and 84, click below to read more.
