Morocco Awarded AFCON 2025 Title After Senegal Forfeit Ruling by CAF Appeals Committee

Key Takeaways:

• On January 18 in Rabat, Senegal initially triumphed 1-0 in a turbulent AFCON 2025 final
• The CAF Appeals Committee has since overturned the result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 administrative victory due to Senegal’s forfeiture
• Morocco’s football federation acknowledged the decision, emphasising their respect for competition regulations

CAF Reverses Final Result Following Disciplinary Review

The outcome of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final has been dramatically reversed after the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Appeals Committee ruled in favour of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). The Committee convened in response to Morocco’s appeal and decided to overturn the previous Disciplinary Committee’s decision, citing breaches of articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations by Senegal.

🚨 Morocco have been declared AFCON champions!

CAF have overturned the final result and award a 3-0 win, with Senegal ruled to have forfeited. pic.twitter.com/4YtaC0e76W

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 17, 2026

This decision stipulates that Senegal are to be considered as having forfeited the final, granting a 3-0 result to Morocco. According to the official CAF statement: “The Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided, in accordance with Article 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Regulations, to declare the Senegal national team as forfeiting the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 (‘the Match’), with the result officially recorded as 3-0 in favor of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).”

Incidents in Rabat: Match Disrupted by Pitch Walk-Off and Crowd Trouble

The original match, contested on 18 January in Rabat, saw Senegal emerge as 1-0 winners after an incident-packed encounter. Late in the second half, Morocco were awarded a penalty in stoppage time, moments after Senegal had a goal disallowed. The controversial sequence led to several Senegalese players temporarily leaving the pitch, before they eventually returned. During this period, Senegal’s supporters attempted to invade the pitch and threw objects onto the playing surface.

Following Moroccan winger Brahim Diaz’s missed penalty, the tense contest proceeded to extra time. Senegal then clinched victory through a goal scored by Pape Gueye. Despite these dramatic on-field events, the post-match appeals process has rendered the initial result void, altering the official records in Morocco’s favour.

Reactions from the Moroccan Federation

Reacting to CAF’s verdict, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation publicly acknowledged the Committee’s decision. In its communique, the FRMF stressed that its appeal was never a challenge to the teams’ sporting merit, but “solely to request the application of the competition regulations”. The Federation further reiterated its commitment to upholding the rules and maintaining transparency within African football competitions. The FRMF also extended its respects to all participating nations and announced forthcoming comments after further internal consultations scheduled for Wednesday.

Official Result Overview