In a truly unexpected turn of events, CAF announced on Tuesday that Senegal’s triumph in the CAN 2025 final, played on January 18th, has been overturned. The governing body of African football declared Senegal’s loss by forfeit, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory on a technicality, despite the North African side having been defeated 0-1 after extra time in front of their home crowd.
CAF’s official statement, released after the appeal jury’s hearing on Tuesday evening, confirmed: “The appeal jury of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided, in application of Article 84 of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) regulations, to declare the Senegalese national team to have forfeited the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final, with the result being ratified as 3-0 in favour of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).”
>>> All the live updates following CAF’s decision
Senegal sanctioned for leaving the pitch
CAF’s decision to sanction Senegal stems from the controversial incidents that marred the end of the final match. Following a penalty awarded to Morocco, which Brahim Diaz subsequently missed with a disastrous panenka, a significant number of Senegalese players abandoned the field and retreated to their changing rooms in protest. Additionally, supporters of the team, led by star player Sadio Mané, also invaded the pitch, leading to a crowd surge and clashes with stadium security personnel.
After a considerable delay and period of uncertainty, the match eventually resumed with Brahim Diaz’s missed attempt, leading to extra time. It was during this period that Pape Gueye netted the winning goal, securing what was then considered a fantastic victory for the Lions of Teranga.
Morocco ends 49-year wait for continental glory
This unprecedented decision, marking a first for a competition of this stature, is expected to ignite a wave of strong reactions across the continent. Senegalese supporters, in particular, will likely feel a profound sense of injustice, perceiving the outcome as a ‘theft’ of their nation’s hard-won triumph. This will undoubtedly be a major topic in African society news.
Conversely, Moroccan fans will now have cause to celebrate the end of a nearly half-century drought in the Africa Cup of Nations, as their team secures a second continental title on home soil under the guidance of Walid Regragui (who has since been replaced by Mohamed Ouahbi). Furthermore, football pundits and observers globally are unlikely to remain silent in the wake of such a historic ruling from the CAF appeal jury, sparking discussions on Africa politics English language platforms.
saibari and Morocco also face sanctions for towel incidents
Beyond the seismic impact of Senegal’s forfeiture, CAF also upheld sanctions against Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari for the incident involving the theft of the opposing goalkeeper’s towel during the final. The PSV player has been handed a two-match suspension (one of which is suspended), though his initial $100,000 fine has been annulled.
Similarly, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation is required to pay a $50,000 fine for the conduct of its ball boys during the final match. On multiple occasions, these members of the organizing staff were observed taking the Senegalese goalkeeper’s towels.
While Morocco had previously appealed CAF’s initial decisions regarding the final incidents, deeming them too lenient towards Senegal, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) had not lodged an appeal at that time. However, in light of the CAF appeal jury’s verdict this Tuesday, the Senegalese body may now consider further action, potentially escalating the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Panafrican Press will be closely following these developments.
