Morocco have officially been crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the initial result of the final against Senegal.
The match, played on 18 January, originally ended in a 1–0 victory for Senegal. However, it was marked by controversy when Senegalese players temporarily refused to continue play after a stoppage-time penalty was awarded to Morocco while the score was still level.
After a delay of approximately 17 minutes, the game resumed. Morocco’s penalty, taken by Brahim Díaz, was saved, and Senegal later secured victory through an extra-time goal from Pape Gueye.
Following a formal appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), CAF’s appeal board reviewed the incident and ruled that Senegal’s actions constituted a breach of tournament regulations. As a result, Senegal were deemed to have forfeited the match, which has now been officially recorded as a 3–0 win in favour of Morocco.
According to CAF, Senegal violated Article 82 of the competition rules, which states that any team refusing to play or leaving the field without authorisation is considered to have lost the match. Article 84 further stipulates that such a violation results in disqualification and a 3–0 defeat.
The Senegalese Football Federation has strongly contested the decision, describing it as unfair and damaging to the reputation of African football. The body has announced plans to challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
On the Moroccan side, the FRMF clarified that its appeal was not aimed at questioning Senegal’s on-field performance but rather at ensuring that competition rules were properly enforced. The federation also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining fairness and consistency within African football.
Despite the official decision, reactions remain mixed. Senegalese players had already celebrated their victory publicly, including a parade with the trophy. Some players, such as Ismaïla Sarr and El Hadji Malick Diouf, reacted on social media following the announcement.
Football analyst Maher Mezahi noted that while the ruling changes the official outcome, it cannot erase the events witnessed on the pitch or the emotions experienced by players and supporters.
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