Morocco’s Men National Football team has been crowned the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Senegal the title following their dramatic walk-off during the finals in Rabat.
In a notice on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, CAF confirmed that the Senegal National Team forfeited the final match, with the Appeal Board awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory.
“The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the Total Energies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”), with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF),” read the CAF statement.
The CAF’s ruling follows a petition filed by Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football, that sought to overturn Senegal’s victory, alleging a breach of the tournament’s regulations.
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the AFCON final held on January 18, 2026, a match that was overshadowed by controversy, with Senegalese players walking off the field to protest a VAR ruling, that awarded Morocco a late penalty.
The match was delayed for about 17 minutes before the players eventually returned, with Brahim Diaz missing the penalty and Senegal going on to win the trophy.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has however rejected CAF’s decision, calling it “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable.” FSF said it would appeal.
