CAF confirms Morocco as AFCON 2025 Champions on it's official platforms
23rd March 2026
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The governing body has now reflected that decision on its official platforms, formally recognising Morocco as champions.
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.