The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, declaring Morocco the winners after Senegal's initial victory was deemed a forfeit.
According to Caf, Senegal's decision to walk off the field in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco in stoppage time constituted a breach of Article 82 of the competition's regulations. As a result, Morocco has been awarded a 3-0 victory.
The incident occurred on January 18, when referee Jean Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty in the eighth minute of added time, prompting Senegal's players to leave the field. After a 17-minute delay, the players returned, and the match continued, with Senegal ultimately winning 1-0 in extra time.
Response from Senegal
The Senegalese Football Federation has announced its intention to appeal Caf's decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, describing it as "an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision which brings discredit to African football".
Senegal's head coach, Pape Thiaw, had initially ordered his team off the field in protest of the penalty decision, but later accepted that he had reacted "in the heat of the moment".
Investigation and Decision
Caf's appeal board declared Senegal's actions a breach of Article 82, which states that a team that refuses to play or leaves the ground before the end of regulation time without the referee's authorisation will be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition.
Article 84 of the regulations, which complements Article 82, states that any team that violates Article 82 will be permanently eliminated and will lose the match 3-0.
Reaction from Morocco
The Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) welcomed Caf's decision, stating that its appeal was not intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams, but rather to request the application of the competition's regulations.
FRMF also commended the nations that participated in the Africa Cup of Nations, describing the tournament as a "major moment for African football".
