Morocco have been declared the winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result of their final defeat to Senegal.
Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 in the AFCON final in Rabat on January 18 in a match which was overshadowed when the Senegalese players refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.
Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return and Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.
However, that result has now been overturned by African football’s governing body.
A statement from CAF on Tuesday said that Senegal are “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.
In a detailed ruling, the CAF Appeal Board upheld the appeal unanimously. “The conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope of Articles 82 and 84,” the board stated, declaring Senegal’s Football Federation (FSF) in breach.
CAF’s decision hands the North Africans their second AFCON title after winning thier first in 1976.
