The Confederation of African Football has officially updated its records to confirm Morocco national football team as winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, following a controversial decision to overturn Senegal’s victory.
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CAF’s Appeals Board ruled recently to annul the result of the final, awarding Morocco a 3-0 win after upholding an appeal lodged by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
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‎The decision was based on Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations, which state that a team forfeits a match if players leave the field of play without permission.
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‎The ruling stems from dramatic scenes during the final, when players from the Senegal national football team walked off the pitch for more than 15 minutes in protest over a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
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‎Despite returning to complete the match, which Senegal went on to win 1-0 thanks to a goal from Pape Gueye after Brahim Díaz missed the penalty, CAF later ruled that the walk-off constituted a breach serious enough to trigger an automatic forfeiture.
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‎The governing body has now reflected that decision on its official platforms, formally recognising Morocco as champions.
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‎The move is likely to intensify debate across African football, with critics questioning the balance between enforcing regulations and respecting results achieved on the pitch.