The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially recognized Morocco as winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a contentious decision that overturned the original final result.
An update on CAF’s official platform now lists Morocco as champions, with Senegal finishing as runners-up and Nigeriain third place.
The development stems from a ruling issued on March 18 by CAF’s Appeals Board, which nullified the outcome of the January 18 final held in Rabat.
Senegal had initially claimed a 1-0 victory after extra time, courtesy of a goal by Pape Gueye. However, the match was marred by controversy after Senegal briefly walked off the pitch during regulation time in protest of key officiating decisions.
The team had objected to a disallowed goal from Ismaila Sarr and a late penalty awarded to Morocco following VAR intervention. Head coach Pape Thiaw appeared to instruct his players to leave the field before they later returned to continue the match.
Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the resulting penalty, pushing the game into extra time where Senegal eventually scored the winner.
However, CAF’s Appeals Board later ruled that Senegal’s temporary walk-off constituted a forfeiture under tournament regulations, officially awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and their second continental title.
CAF stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the integrity of its rules, though it has sparked widespread debate among fans and analysts over the role of administrative rulings in determining match outcomes.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese Football Federation has announced plans to challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
