AFCON Title Overturned: Morocco Declared Champions as CAF Strips Senegal of Trophy

In a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through African football, the CAF Appeal Board has officially overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, stripping Senegal of the title and declaring Morocco the winners.

The decision, delivered on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, follows a formal appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) regarding the extraordinary scenes in Rabat where the Senegalese squad staged a mid-match walk-off.

As a result of the forfeiture, the match has been retrospectively recorded as a 3-0 victory for the host nation.

The controversy centers on the chaotic final moments of regulation time at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah. With the score level, a VAR review led referee Jean-Jacques Ndala to award Morocco a penalty after Brahim Díaz was adjudged to have been fouled by El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The decision triggered an immediate and furious protest from the Senegalese bench, with head coach Pape Thiaw instructing his players to leave the field.

Although the "Lions of Teranga" eventually returned after a 14-minute delay—subsequently winning the match 1-0 in extra time through a Pape Gueye strike—the CAF Appeal Board ruled that the act of walking off constituted a breach of tournament regulations.

In its detailed statement, the Appeal Board confirmed that Senegal’s conduct fell within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, which classify a refusal to play or leaving the pitch before the regular end of a match as a forfeit.

"The appeal lodged by the FRMF is declared admissible in form and the appeal is upheld," the board stated, effectively nullifying the on-pitch result.

This decision sets aside a previous ruling by the CAF Disciplinary Board and confirms that the administrative 3-0 defeat is the final recorded outcome, rewarding Morocco with their first continental crown since 1976.

The wider implications of this ruling are unprecedented, as it marks the first time in the history of the competition that a champion has been stripped of the trophy due to disciplinary infractions during the final itself.

For Senegal, the decision erases what would have been their second consecutive AFCON title and leaves the federation facing significant reputational and financial fallout.

Meanwhile, for Morocco, the retrospective victory settles a long-standing grievance over the match's officiating and the perceived psychological impact of the 15-minute disruption on their players.

While Senegal has the option to further appeal the decision through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the immediate reality sees the trophy return to Rabat.

The ruling serves as a stern warning from CAF regarding the sanctity of the field of play and the consequences of "walk-off" protests in elite competition.

For now, the African football landscape remains in a state of flux as the governing body prepares for the official re-crowning of the Atlas Lions.