Why Morocco has been awarded the 2025 AFCON title after Senegal stripped

CAF’s Appeal Board has officially awarded Morocco the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title after ruling that Senegal forfeited the final, overturning the original result in one of the most controversial decisions in the competition’s history.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed on 17 March, 2026, that Morocco’s appeal was successful, with the governing body determining that Senegal breached key tournament regulations during the AFCON 2025 final. As a result, the match has been recorded as a 3-0 forfeit victory in favour of Morocco, meaning they are now recognised as AFCON 2025 champions.

Why Morocco were awarded the AFCON 2025 title

The decision centres on CAF’s application of Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations. According to the Appeal Board, Senegal committed an infringement serious enough to trigger a forfeit ruling.

Article 84 allows CAF to award a 3-0 victory to the opposing team if a side is found guilty of certain violations. By applying this rule, CAF did not order a replay or amend the scoreline based on sporting performance. Instead, it issued a regulatory decision that directly handed Morocco the win and, by extension, the AFCON 2025 trophy.

This means Morocco’s title was not decided by extra time, penalties or a replay, but through CAF’s disciplinary and appeals process following the final.

CAF overturns previous disciplinary decision

A crucial part of the ruling is that CAF’s Appeal Board overturned an earlier decision made by its Disciplinary Board. Morocco’s protest was initially dismissed, but the appeal process led to a full reassessment of the case.

The Appeal Board ultimately ruled in Morocco’s favour, confirming that Senegal had violated the regulations and that the appropriate sanction was forfeiture of the match. That reversal is what changed the official outcome of the AFCON 2025 final.

Morocco not fully cleared despite AFCON title decision

While Morocco were awarded the title, the ruling also confirmed that they were not entirely free of fault.

CAF partially upheld sanctions against Morocco related to matchday incidents. Midfielder Ismaël Saibari saw his suspension reduced to two matches, with one suspended, and a significant fine against him was cancelled. However, Morocco were still fined for issues involving ball boys, interference around the VAR review process, and the use of laser devices in the stadium, although some of those penalties were reduced.

This balanced approach from CAF indicates that while Morocco won the appeal on the central issue of the final result, other disciplinary matters were judged separately.

AFCON 2025 context and why the decision matters

Morocco were also the hosts of AFCON 2025, having been awarded the tournament in 2023 after Guinea were stripped of hosting rights due to infrastructure concerns. That context adds further attention to a decision that has now reshaped the outcome of the tournament.

For Senegal, the ruling represents a major sporting and reputational blow, as a final result achieved on the pitch has effectively been nullified. For Morocco, it marks a historic AFCON title, albeit one decided off the field.

What happens next

CAF’s Appeal Board ruling is currently the final decision within its structures, but given the scale and controversy of the outcome, attention will turn to whether any further legal challenge is pursued.

For now, the official record is clear. Morocco are the winners of AFCON 2025 after CAF ruled that Senegal forfeited the final under tournament regulations.

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