The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has overturned Senegal’s victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, declaring Morocco the official champions after ruling that Senegal forfeited the match following controversial events during the final.
The decision by CAF’s Appeal Board marks a dramatic twist in one of the most contentious finals in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, Africa’s premier football tournament.
The match, which was initially won 1–0 by the Senegal national football team after extra time, has now been officially recorded as a 3–0 victory for the Morocco national football team following the administrative ruling.
CAF’s Appeal Board determined that Senegal breached tournament regulations during the closing moments of the match, leading to the forfeiture.
As a result, Morocco have been formally recognized as the winners of the 2025 AFCON title.
The controversial final was played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
The match descended into chaos during the final stages following a series of contentious refereeing decisions that sparked protests from the Senegal team.
A key moment came when a Senegal goal in stoppage time was ruled out after the referee had already blown the whistle. The decision triggered protests from players and coaching staff.
Moments later, Morocco were awarded a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, escalating tensions further.
In protest against the officiating decisions, several Senegal players walked off the pitch, leading to a temporary halt in play.
According to CAF competition regulations, teams are required to remain on the field of play unless instructed otherwise by the referee.
CAF determined that Senegal’s actions constituted a violation of these rules.
Following an appeal filed by Morocco’s football authorities, the governing body ruled that the walk-off effectively amounted to forfeiture of the match.
The Appeal Board therefore awarded Morocco a 3–0 technical victory, the standard scoreline applied in forfeiture cases.
With the ruling, Morocco have been officially crowned AFCON 2025 champions, despite initially losing the match on the pitch.
The decision has generated widespread debate across the African football community, with fans and analysts divided over the fairness of the ruling.
Supporters of the decision argue that tournament rules must be upheld, while critics believe the match should have been resolved on the field of play.
Regardless, the ruling stands as the final decision by CAF’s disciplinary structures.
The decision to overturn the result months after the final adds another dramatic chapter to the history of the Africa Cup of Nations.
