Morocco Awarded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Title After Senegal Forfeit
In a stunning turn of events, Morocco has been declared the winner of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned Senegal’s victory in the January final. The decision stems from Senegal’s protest during the match, leading to a ruling that they forfeited the final, resulting in a 3-0 default win for Morocco.
The Chaotic Final and Senegal’s Protest
The controversy unfolded during the January 18th final in Rabat. Senegal players, led by coach Pape Thiaw, walked off the field in protest during stoppage time for 15 minutes although fans attempted to storm the pitch after Morocco was awarded a penalty. The penalty was set to decide the match. Play resumed, but Morocco forward Brahim Díaz’s subsequent penalty attempt – a “Panenka” – was saved by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, and Senegal ultimately scored the winning goal in extra time.
Tensions had already been high after Senegal had a goal disallowed minutes before the penalty was awarded, with replays suggesting minimal contact on the play that led to the call against Abdoulaye Seck ESPN.
CAF’s Appeal Board Decision
The CAF Appeal Board ruled that Senegal forfeited the final match, citing Article 84 of the CAF African Cup of Nations Regulations. This article states that if a team withdraws from a competition, fails to report for a match, refuses to play, or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the referee’s authorization, they will be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition CBS Sports.
the match result was officially registered as a 3-0 win in favor of Morocco CNN.
Senegal’s Response and Potential Appeals
Senegal has indicated its intention to appeal the decision, though the specific avenue for appeal remains unclear. The Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is a potential option for resolving sports-related disputes CNN.
Previous Disciplinary Action
Prior to the appeal board’s decision, CAF had imposed fines exceeding $1 million and bans on several Senegal and Morocco players and officials following an initial disciplinary hearing. However, the original match result had been left unchanged at that time ESPN.
Social Media Reactions
Following the initial disciplinary hearing, Senegal defender Moussa Niakhaté posted a photo on Instagram with the trophy, stating “Come and obtain it! They’re crazy!” Left back El Hadji Malick Diouf also expressed disbelief on his Instagram story ESPN.