In a historic and controversial decision that has shaken African football, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has overturned Senegal’s victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, awarding the title to Morocco by a 3‑0 forfeit win after ruling that Senegal forfeited the match by temporarily walking off the pitch in protest of a refereeing decision.
The AFCON final was played on 18 January 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, between host nation Morocco and Senegal.
The match remained goalless through regulation time, and in stoppage time, the referee awarded Morocco a controversial penalty after a VAR review found a foul in the penalty area.
In protest, Senegal’s head coach Pape Thiaw instructed his players to leave the field, and the team briefly walked off, halting play for about 15 minutes.
Morocco eventually took the penalty, which was saved by Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, and the match went into extra time.
In the 94th minute, Pape Gueye scored with a powerful strike to give Senegal a 1–0 victory and the impression of a second AFCON title.
Senegal Walk Off in Protest Over Controversial Penalty
Senegal’s protest stemmed from what the team believed was an unfair penalty decision that went against them in stoppage time, coupled with earlier contentious rulings in the match.
Their decision to leave the pitch was intended as a demonstration of frustration with the officiating, but it placed them in violation of CAF regulations.
Senegal later returned to the pitch and completed the match, yet CAF officials later determined the initial walk‑off action constituted a breach of match conduct rules.
CAF Appeal Board Rule and Senegal’s Reaction
On 17 March 2026, the CAF Appeal Board ruled that Senegal’s actions amounted to a forfeiture of the match because leaving the field without the referee’s authorization violated Articles 82 and 84 of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations regulations — which state that any team that refuses to play or walks off before a match ends must be recorded as a forfeit.
As a result, the final scoreline was recorded as a 3–0 victory in favour of Morocco, officially declaring them the 2025 AFCON champions — their second continental title, the first since 1976.
The Senegalese Football Federation has called the decision unjust and unprecedented and stated its intention to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that the match was completed, and the result should stand based on what occurred on the field.
Supporters and commentators have also reacted strongly online, with many questioning the timing and fairness of the ruling given that nearly two months had passed since the match was played.
The decision has sparked widespread debate across African football circles.
Some argue that CAF was simply enforcing the letter of the competition’s regulations, while others say the retroactive application of the rule undermines the integrity of the competition after the match had already been played to completion.
Morocco is now officially recognized as the champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3–0 forfeit win.
Senegal, despite having celebrated the title on match day, are stripped of the championship and are pursuing further legal action.
Both teams remain expected to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America pending any further legal outcomes.
Due to violation of football setup rules and law,senegal was disqualified from the match between them(senegal)and morroco. But this setup rules is becoming something else in football ooooo.
The law should be amended ooo.