Two months after Senegal celebrated glory at the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco have been declared champions of the continent. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made the unprecedented decision after considering an appeal by the Moroccan football federation (FRMF) into the dramatic scenes that engulfed the final at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Angered by a series of refereeing decisions during the game that culminated with Brahim Diaz being awarded a penalty in the 83rd minute, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players off the pitch. The match was suspended for 14 minutes before play was resumed, during which time Senegal supporters invaded the field and clashed with both Moroccan fans and police. When the game eventually resumed, Diaz missed his penalty, and the hosts found themselves undone in extra time as Pape Gueye scored the game’s only goal.
Ultimately, however, those events after the Senegal players exited the field have been declared null and void by CAF, who upheld the FRMF’s appeal and concluded that Thiaw’s team had broken Article 82 of their regulations in exiting the field. That reads that «if, for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match, or refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered looser [sic] and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition. The same shall apply for the teams previously disqualified by decision of CAF.»
Article 84 states that any team that breaks Article 82 will be awarded a 3-0 loss.
Such a ruling is without precedent in the history of AFCON and indeed the highest level of international football. It also means Morocco’s 49-year wait to be crowned continental champions ended not on the field but in the boardrooms.
Senegal could appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Their federation is yet to formally respond to CAF’s decision. Posting on Instagram, defender Moussa Niakhate, who played the full 120 minutes, captioned an image of him holding the trophy with the line: «Come and get them. They’re crazy!» West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf posted an image from the celebrations, saying: «Show yourselves, champions!»
In response to the decision, the FRMF said: «The Federation wishes to recall that its approach has never been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition’s regulations. The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, ensuring clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions. It also wishes to commend all the nations that took part in this edition of the AFCON, which has been a major moment for African football.»
Senegal players and staff had already been sanctioned for their role in the late-game drama. Thiaw was handed a five-game suspension while Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr got two games; their federation also received a hefty fine. As if the drama around the penalty had not been enough, two Morocco players were also sanctioned for interfering with the towel of Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Ismael Saibari was one of those, Achraf Hakimi the other, but CAF today ruled that his three-game suspension should be lowered to two games, one of which was suspended.
