CAF awards AFCON 2025 Title to Morocco after Controversial Ruling

The Confederation of African Football has officially declared Morocco winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after ruling that Senegal forfeited the final following a successful appeal.

The decision, announced on Tuesday by CAF’s Appeal Board, overturned an earlier disciplinary ruling and awarded Morocco a 3–0 victory in line with tournament regulations. The board found that Senegal breached competition rules, leading to the forfeiture of the final match.

“The Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match… with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football,” the ruling stated, citing Article 84 of the AFCON regulations.

The verdict reverses the original outcome of the final in Rabat, where Senegal had been declared winners after a 1–0 victory in extra time. The match had been marred by controversy, including protests from Senegal’s players and technical crew over a late refereeing decision, as well as confrontations involving players and officials.

CAF’s Appeal Board also ruled that Senegal’s conduct violated Article 82 of the competition regulations, thereby upholding Morocco’s protest and setting aside the earlier decision of the disciplinary committee.

In related rulings, Moroccan midfielder Ismaël Saibari had his sanction reduced to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, while a previously imposed $100,000 fine was отменed. The fine against Morocco for a laser incident was also reduced to $10,000, although a separate $100,000 penalty linked to interference around the VAR review area was upheld.

With the appeal decision, Morocco, hosts of the tournament, are crowned AFCON 2025 champions by administrative ruling rather than on the pitch, marking one of the most dramatic and controversial conclusions in the history of the competition.

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