Trouble after trouble over Africa Cup final: Senegal stripped of title and handed over to Morocco

Monumental mess in the beautiful game. After the incidents that occurred in the last edition of the Africa Cup, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) took the decision on Wednesday to strip Senegal of the title and award it to runner-up Morocco.

Through a statement, the highest body of African soccer informed that, after judicially assessing everything that happened in the final, it proclaims Morocco champion, despite losing the match 1-0 to Senegal.

"The Court of Appeal of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided, in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the African Cup of Nations (CAN), to declare the withdrawal of the national team of Senegal in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 ("the match"), the result being homologated with a score of 3-0 in favor of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF)," reads the statement.

According to the article, if a team "refuses to play or leaves the field of play before the end of the match, it shall be considered the loser and shall be definitively eliminated from the current competition."

The facts

In the final, played on Jan. 18 in Rabat, Morocco, Senegal beat Morocco in extra time by the narrowest of margins. Prior to that, during second-half stoppage time, the referee disallowed a goal for the Senegalese national team and immediately appealed for a penalty kick in favor of the Moroccans.

Before the spot kick, Senegalese players protested to the referee for his decision, while fans tried to invade the pitch and started throwing objects.

When there was no rectification, the Senegalese national team left the field momentarily. Several minutes later they returned to the pitch, although Morocco continued to have the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot.

Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz, star of the Moroccan national team, was charged with taking the spot kick, but he missed and the match went to extra time, at which point, thanks to a goal by Pape Gueye, Senegal managed to defeat their opponents and become champions of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations.

Senegal speaks of "injustice", while Morocco celebrates the "application of the rules."

The reactions from both sides are in line with how they have come out of this decision.

Senegal, as the aggrieved party, issued a message in which it speaks of "an unfair and unacceptable decision that discredits African football," while informing that it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"The Senegalese Football Federation denounces an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision that discredits African soccer. For the defense of its rights and the interests of Senegalese soccer, the Federation will lodge, as soon as possible, an appeal to the CAS," he said. It has ten days to appeal.

For its part, the beneficiary of this decision, Morocco, assured, through a statement, that its initiative "was never intended to question the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but only requesting the application of the competition rules."