The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title to Morocco following a ruling that Senegal forfeited the final match of the tournament, a decision that came after a successful appeal by the Moroccan football federation.
The announcement, made on Tuesday, overturned an earlier disciplinary ruling after the CAF Appeal Board upheld Morocco’s protest and found that Senegal breached competition regulations during the final, a match that had been played in Rabat and initially saw Senegal defeat the hosts 1–0 in extra time.
The ruling by the appeal board recorded the result of the final as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), marking one of the most extraordinary conclusions to an AFCON tournament in its history.
In its detailed ruling, the CAF Appeal Board stated, “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 Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.”
The board further explained that the Senegalese federation had infringed competition rules, noting, “The Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, through the conduct of its team, infringed Article 82 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations,” and affirmed that Morocco’s appeal was “declared admissible in form and the appeal is upheld.”
The decision effectively nullified the on-field result, which had originally seen Senegal declared winners after scoring in extra time, and instead handed the championship to Morocco, the tournament hosts.
The appeal board also addressed a range of related disciplinary issues arising from the final. On Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari, the board confirmed a finding of misconduct in violation of Articles 82 and 83(1) of the CAF Disciplinary Code but amended his sanction, ruling that “the sanction imposed on Mr Ismaël Saibari is amended to a suspension of two official CAF matches, of which one match is suspended,” while the previously imposed $100,000 fine was set aside.
The board further reduced the fine imposed on the FRMF in relation to incidents involving ball boys, ruling that “the fine imposed on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football in respect of the ball boys incident is reduced to USD 50,000,” and lowered the penalty related to the laser incident to USD 10,000.
However, the appeal concerning interference around the VAR review area was dismissed, with the board confirming the original $100,000 fine imposed on the Moroccan federation in that regard.
The ruling has now formally crowned Morocco as the 2025 AFCON champions, an outcome determined not by the final whistle on the pitch but through the judicial processes of the CAF Appeal Board.
The decision underscores the extraordinary circumstances of the final, which had been marred by multiple controversies. During the original match, Senegal’s players and technical staff staged protests over a late refereeing decision, while confrontations erupted involving players, officials, and other match personnel.
Following the match, the CAF Disciplinary Board had initially sanctioned both the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football and the FRMF for misconduct, issuing fines and suspensions to players and officials from both sides. At the time, CAF had upheld the match result while imposing disciplinary penalties separately.
Morocco’s subsequent appeal challenged the disciplinary rulings and led to the forfeiture decision. By overturning the previous ruling, CAF has highlighted the significance of adherence to competition regulations and demonstrated the appeal process as a mechanism to correct breaches of rules, even in high-stakes matches such as continental finals.
The appeal board’s decision not only amended specific sanctions against Moroccan individuals and reduced fines on the host federation but also formally acknowledged Senegal’s violation of Article 82, which was central to the determination that the final should be forfeited.
As a result, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations trophy will officially reside with Morocco, adding a historic and unusual chapter to the competition’s record books.