RismadarVoice Reporters
March 18, 2026
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title to Morocco after its Appeal Board ruled that Senegal forfeited the tournament final following a successful protest by the Moroccan Football Federation.
The decision, announced on Tuesday, overturned an earlier ruling by CAF’s Disciplinary Board, which had initially upheld Senegal’s 1–0 victory over hosts Morocco in the final played in Rabat.
The appeal panel found that Senegal breached competition regulations, prompting the forfeiture verdict.
In its ruling, the CAF Appeal Board stated that the Senegal national team would be deemed to have lost the final by a 3–0 scoreline, in accordance with Article 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations.
The panel further held that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football infringed Article 82 of the competition rules through the conduct of its team.
The board also addressed several disciplinary issues arising from the controversial encounter.
Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct, but his sanction was reduced to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, while a previously imposed $100,000 fine was set aside.
CAF also reviewed penalties imposed on Morocco over incidents involving ball boys, laser interference and disturbances near the VAR review area.
The fines related to the ball boys and laser incidents were reduced to $50,000 and $10,000 respectively, while the $100,000 fine for interference around the VAR zone was upheld.
The AFCON final had been overshadowed by protests from Senegal’s players and officials following a late refereeing decision, as well as confrontations involving match personnel during the closing stages of the game.
With the appeal ruling, Morocco who hosted the tournament are now formally recognized as AFCON 2025 champions, in what observers describe as one of the most dramatic conclusions in the competition’s history.
