Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Tuesday evening that Morocco would be crowned AFCON champions, two months after the tournament ended in controversy. The decision means Senegal have been stripped of their title after leaving the pitch during the final, an action CAF ruled as a forfeiture.
As a result, Morocco—who hosted the tournament—have been awarded a 3-0 victory in the final played on January 18, securing their second AFCON title and ending a 49-year wait for the trophy.
Senegal’s government has since called for an independent international investigation into alleged corruption within CAF. In a statement, officials argued that the decision goes against the principles of fairness and sporting integrity.
Originally, Senegal had won the match 1-0 after extra time. The game was disrupted when Senegal players walked off in protest following a controversial stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco, which delayed play for 17 minutes. Brahim Díaz missed the penalty attempt, while Sadio Mané persuaded his teammates to return to the pitch. Senegal later secured victory through an extra-time goal from Pape Gueye.
However, CAF cited its competition rules, stating that any team that refuses to continue play or leaves the pitch without the referee’s approval is deemed to have lost the match and is disqualified. Based on this regulation, the result was overturned in Morocco’s favour.
Senegal’s football authorities have strongly rejected the ruling, describing it as unfair, unprecedented, and damaging to African football. The federation confirmed it will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), although a final verdict could take up to a year.
The decision followed an appeal by Morocco’s football federation, which maintained that its request was not to question the match outcome but to ensure that the rules of the competition were properly enforced.
Several Senegal players affected by the ruling include Sadio Mané, Idrissa Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye, Mamadou Sarr, Nicolas Jackson, El Hadji Malick Diouf, and Ismaïla Sarr, all of whom have now lost their champion status.
Meanwhile, Moroccan players such as Noussair Mazraoui, Achraf Hakimi, and Brahim Díaz can now celebrate a delayed triumph.
The ruling has sparked mixed reactions, with some Senegal players responding humorously on social media by sharing laughing emojis and images from their earlier celebrations with the AFCON trophy.