Morocco Awarded AFCON 2025 Title After CAF Strips Senegal
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has stripped Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, awarding the title to Morocco following a 3-0 forfeit ruling in the final.
The CAF Appeal Board announced the decision on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, upholding key elements of a protest filed by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) under Articles 82 and 84 of the competition’s regulations.
The ruling overturns the original final result and confirms Morocco as champions of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Morocco 2025.
According to the board, the Senegal national team, through the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), breached tournament rules, leading to the forfeiture.
“The protest lodged by the FRMF is upheld,” a statement said.
CAF did not publicly disclose the specific nature of Senegal’s violation but indicated that it fell within the scope of the regulations, warranting the match to be recorded as a 3-0 victory in favour of Morocco.
The decision marks a rare and highly controversial intervention in AFCON history, significantly altering the tournament’s outcome.
Morocco’s appeal yielded mixed outcomes. While some sanctions were reduced, others were upheld.
Midfielder Ismaël Saibari had his suspension reduced to two official CAF matches, with one suspended, and his USD 100,000 fine waived.
Financial penalties imposed on the FRMF were also adjusted. A fine related to ball boys’ misconduct was reduced to USD 50,000, sanctions for a laser incident were cut to $10,000, while a USD 100,000 fine for interference in the VAR area was maintained. Other motions were dismissed.
The ruling is expected to send shockwaves across African football, particularly as Morocco hosted the tournament and strongly pursued the appeal.
Senegal, who had initially celebrated victory, must now contend with the implications of the decision, which could affect their standing ahead of future competitions.
