The Confédération Africaine de Football has awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco after ruling that Senegal forfeited the final, overturning the original result in a dramatic post-tournament decision.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, CAF’s Appeal Board said the Senegal national team had breached competition regulations, triggering a forfeiture under Article 84. The match has now been recorded as a 3–0 victory in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.
The decision follows an appeal lodged by Morocco’s football federation, which challenged an earlier ruling by CAF’s Disciplinary Board. The Appeal Board declared the Moroccan appeal admissible and upheld it in full on the central issue of the match outcome.
“The CAF Appeal Board further finds that the conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope of Articles 82 and 84,” the ruling said, adding that the Senegalese side had infringed Article 82 of the tournament regulations.
As a result, the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football was deemed to have forfeited the final, handing Morocco the continental title.
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CAF said further details on the circumstances leading to the decision would be outlined in due course.
The ruling marks a rare instance of a major continental final being decided off the pitch, and is likely to spark debate across African football, where Senegal are one of the game’s leading powers and recent champions.
Beyond the headline decision, the Appeal Board also issued a series of rulings on disciplinary matters arising from the final, including sanctions involving players, officials and matchday incidents.
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Morocco midfielder Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct under Articles 82 and 83(1) of the CAF Disciplinary Code. However, the board reduced his punishment, imposing a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, and scrapping an earlier fine of US$100,000.
CAF also reviewed several incidents involving the Moroccan federation during the match.
The Appeal Board confirmed that Morocco was responsible for the conduct of ball boys, but reduced the associated fine to $50,000. A separate fine of $100,000 for interference around the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review area was upheld in full.
In addition, a sanction related to the use of laser devices during the match was partially reduced, with the fine cut to $10,000.
“All other motions or prayers for relief are dismissed,” the CAF ruling said, indicating that the board had closed the case on all outstanding appeals related to the final.
The decision brings an official end to one of the most contentious conclusions to an Africa Cup of Nations tournament in recent history.
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While Morocco are now confirmed as champions of AFCON 2025, the fallout from the ruling is expected to continue, with potential reactions from Senegalese authorities, fans and stakeholders across the continent.
Neither federation immediately issued a detailed public response following the announcement.
The Africa Cup of Nations, Africa’s premier football tournament, is one of the continent’s most-watched sporting events, and decisions of this magnitude are rare.
For Morocco, the ruling delivers a major continental title under extraordinary circumstances. For Senegal, it marks a bitter and highly unusual end to their campaign.
CAF’s Appeal Board ruling is final and binding, meaning the revised result will stand as the official outcome of the AFCON 2025 final.
