CAF Hands Morocco AFCON 2025 Title After Senegal Final Forfeit Ruling

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has officially awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco after ruling that Senegal forfeited the final.

In a statement released on Tuesday, CAF confirmed that Senegal breached tournament regulations, resulting in the match being awarded to Morocco as a 3–0 forfeit in accordance with Article 84 of AFCON rules.

The decision follows a successful appeal by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), with the Appeal Board overturning an earlier verdict by CAF’s Disciplinary Board. The panel concluded that Senegal’s actions constituted violations under Articles 82 and 84.

“The Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the FRMF,” CAF said.

The ruling strips Senegal of the AFCON crown and hands Morocco a highly controversial title, decided away from the field of play.

CAF also addressed several disciplinary matters arising from the match. Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct and handed a two-match suspension, with one match suspended. A previously imposed $100,000 fine against him was overturned.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan federation was fined for multiple incidents, including misconduct involving ball boys, interference near the VAR review area, and a laser-related offence.

CAF dismissed all other motions linked to the case, a decision that is likely to ignite strong reactions across the African football community in the coming days.