Morocco as AFCON 2025 Winners, Strip Senegal of Title

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially declared Morocco the winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after ruling that Senegal forfeited the final match.

The decision followed a ruling by CAF’s Appeal Board, which determined that Senegal violated tournament regulations by temporarily walking off the pitch during the final in protest of a controversial penalty awarded to Morocco late in the game.

Although Senegal later returned to the field and went on to win the match 1–0 in extra time, CAF ruled that the walk-off constituted a breach of Articles 82 and 84 of the competition’s regulations regarding refusal to play or abandoning the field without authorization.

As a result, the governing body overturned the original result and awarded Morocco a 3–0 walkover victory, officially naming them champions of the tournament.

The dramatic decision has sparked controversy across African football. The Senegalese Football Federation has rejected the ruling and announced plans to challenge it at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The AFCON final, played in Rabat, had initially ended with Senegal lifting the trophy after a tense and chaotic match, but the latest ruling has now reversed that outcome, handing Morocco the continental title.