CAF Stuns Africa As Morocco Crowned AFCON 2025 Champions After Senegal Forfeiture
In a stunning administrative twist, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) Appeal Board has awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title to the Morocco national football team after ruling that the Senegal national football team forfeited the final.
The decision, announced on Tuesday, sees the highly contested 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final officially recorded as a 3–0 victory in favour of Morocco, following a successful appeal by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.
CAF’s Appeal Board overturned an earlier ruling by its Disciplinary Board, determining that Senegal’s conduct during the final breached Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.
As a result, the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football was found culpable, leading to the forfeiture verdict that ultimately handed Morocco the continental crown.
The ruling brings a dramatic end to one of the most controversial finals in recent AFCON history, shifting the narrative from events on the pitch to decisions in the boardroom.While Morocco emerged as the beneficiaries of the landmark decision, the Appeal Board also found fault on their side.
Moroccan midfielder Ismaël Saibari was sanctioned for misconduct, receiving a two-match suspension—one of which is suspended—while a previously imposed $100,000 fine was overturned.
Further disciplinary measures were issued against Morocco’s football federation over matchday incidents.
The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football was held responsible for the conduct of ball boys, with its fine reduced to $50,000, while a separate $100,000 fine for interference around the VAR review area was upheld. A laser-related offence saw another fine reduced to $10,000.
Despite those sanctions, Morocco walk away as champions—albeit under extraordinary circumstances—while Senegal are left to grapple with the fallout of a final they officially lost without a full conclusion on the pitch.
The verdict is expected to spark debate across African football, raising fresh questions about discipline, match control, and the growing influence of regulatory decisions on the continent’s biggest stage.
