The drama surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final refuses to fade. Two months after Senegal clinched victory over Morocco in a nail-biting 1-0 triumph after extra time, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dramatically overturned the result.
In an announcement made late Tuesday, March 17, the CAF Appeals Jury declared the Senegalese squad forfeited the final match. This administrative sanction, as outlined in the competition’s regulations, automatically converts the outcome to a 3-0 technical victory for Morocco.
The decision stems from an appeal lodged by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, which the CAF Appeals Jury deemed admissible and substantiated. The ruling cites Senegal’s conduct during the match as falling under articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations.
According to the CAF statement, « the Moroccan federation’s appeal has been upheld, confirming that the Senegalese national team’s actions warranted disciplinary action ». The federation’s protest centered on events transpiring during the high-stakes final.
What sparked the controversy?
The January 18 final was already a powder keg of tension. With both sides deadlocked at full-time, Moroccan players were awarded a controversial penalty kick. The decision sparked outrage among Senegalese players, several of whom briefly walked off the pitch in protest before resuming play.
Despite the turmoil, goalkeeper Édouard Mendy made a crucial save to keep the score level, before Pape Gueye struck the decisive goal in the dying moments of extra time to seal Senegal’s victory. At the time, the result stood unchallenged.
However, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation contested key incidents from the match and escalated the matter to CAF’s disciplinary bodies. After thorough review, the Appeals Jury concluded that Senegal’s actions violated tournament rules, prompting the unprecedented reversal.
The CAF’s final ruling states: « The appeal submitted by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has been deemed valid, resulting in the nullification of the initial outcome and the official declaration of a 3-0 victory for Morocco ».
With this ruling, Morocco is now recognized as the official champion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, a title they will hold despite the match being played weeks earlier. The decision has drawn fierce criticism from the Senegalese Football Federation, which has announced plans to appeal the verdict.
