AFCON 2025: Morocco declared winner by forfeit by CAF, an "unfair decision" according to Senegal

"The CAF appeal board decided that in application of Article 84 of the regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the final match of the TotalEnergies AFCON Morocco 2025, with the result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF)," announced the Confédération Africaine de Football on 17/03/2026.

This decision comes 58 days after the incidents that occurred during the Senegal-Morocco match (1-0 after extra time) in the AFCON final. At the end of the match, Senegal contested two decisions made by the referee, Jean-Jacques Ngambo Ndala of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a disallowed goal for Senegal (without VAR intervention, 90+2) and a penalty given to Morocco moments later (after VAR review, 90+8).

Finding this decision particularly unfair, the Senegalese players decided to leave the pitch, before returning to resume play after an 18-minute interruption. The penalty taken by Brahim Diaz was subsequently saved by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, and Senegal went…