In a dramatic and unprecedented move, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially declared Morocco winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), stripping Senegal of the title following a post-final ruling.
The decision follows chaotic scenes in Rabat, where Senegal’s team walked off the pitch in protest over a late penalty awarded against them.
Although Senegal had initially claimed victory, with Pape Gueye scoring the winner in extra time, the match was overshadowed by controversy after the team temporarily abandoned the game during regulation time.
Their protest stemmed from two key decisions — the disallowed goal by Ismaila Sarr and a last-minute penalty awarded to Morocco after a VAR review. Senegal coach Pape Thiaw was seen urging his players off the pitch before they returned roughly 15 minutes later. Morocco’s Brahim Diaz subsequently missed the penalty, sending the game into extra time.
However, CAF announced on Tuesday that Senegal’s actions constituted a forfeit, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and the AFCON title.
In a statement, CAF’s Appeal Board said the decision was made in line with Article 84 of the competition’s regulations, declaring that Senegal had forfeited the final match. As a result, the game was officially recorded as a 3-0 win in favour of the Moroccan Football Federation.
