Official: Senegal stripped of AFCON title after Morocco appeal

Tom Weber

• Updated: 17 Mar 2026 17:27 CDT
• 4 min read

Breaking

The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) has retrospectively awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco.

The dramatic final between Morocco and Senegal on 18 January went down in international football folklore because of the chaotic scenes that ensued when the hosts were awarded a last-minute penalty.

Senegal thought they had won the game when Ismaila Sarr put the ball in the back of the net deep into stoppage time, but referee Jean-Jacques Ndala disallowed the goal for what he had perceived as a foul in the build-up.

Because he blew the whistle before the ball went in the goal, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was not able to intervene and overturn the decision. Senegal felt hard done by, and things came to a head when the VAR handed Morocco a penalty minutes later.

Senegal boss Pape Thiaw instructed his players to walk off the pitch in protest, though not all of them followed his example. Captain Sadio Mane tried to convince his teammates to continue the match. Amid all of this, Senegal fans attempted to invade the pitch.

The players were ultimately persuaded to return, and play resumed with Brahim Diaz stepping up to take the penalty. However, he embarrassingly squandered the chance by attempting a Panenka chip. Pape Gueye later won the match for Senegal in extra time.

Senegal stripped of AFCON title

The day after the final, the Moroccan FA announced that it would file a complaint over the behaviour of the Senegal players. Now, almost exactly two months later, CAF has made its ruling.

In a statement published on Tuesday evening, CAF announced that the result would retrospectively become a 3-0 win for Morocco as Senegal players were "declared to have forfeited" the match by walking out.

"The Confederation Africaine de Football Appeal Board decided today that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football," the statement read.

Senegal have thus been stripped of what would have been their second AFCON title (after 2021), while Morocco have been awarded their second continental championship, ending a 50-year wait in the most bizarre of circumstances.

The story becomes even more remarkable when taking into account that Morocco head coach Walid Regragui resigned earlier this month - just a few months before the World Cup - because the loss in the final had left him feeling that he was no longer the right man for the job.

It will feel bittersweet that he is now officially recognised as the man who ended Morocco's AFCON drought. Regragui has been replaced by U23 national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who will unveil his squad for the upcoming international break on 19 March.

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