Shock reversal in african cup final as CAF strips Senegal of title
The thrilling 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final has taken yet another dramatic turn. Two months after Senegal’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Morocco in extra time, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has upended the result entirely. On March 17, the CAF’s Appeals Jury ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, imposing a 3-0 administrative victory for Morocco under competition regulations.
The CAF’s official statement confirmed that “the appeal filed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation was deemed admissible and justified.” The governing body cited Senegal’s conduct during the match as falling under articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations.
Per CAF’s ruling, “Senegal’s national team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as a 3-0 victory for the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.”
A final already shrouded in controversy
The January 18 final had already been a flashpoint. With the score level at full-time, the referee awarded a contentious penalty to Morocco—sparking outrage among Senegalese players, several of whom briefly walked off the pitch before returning. Goalkeeper Édouard Mendy saved the penalty, but Pape Gueye scored the winning goal in the dying moments of extra time. At the time, despite the uproar, the result stood unchallenged.
However, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation contested key incidents from the game and filed a formal complaint with CAF’s disciplinary body. After reviewing the case, the Appeals Jury upheld Morocco’s appeal, annulling the original result and awarding them the title. The CAF stated that “the appeal lodged by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation was deemed valid.”
With this decision, Morocco is officially crowned 2025 Africa Cup of Nations champions—weeks after the match was played. The Senegalese Football Federation has denounced the ruling as “unfair” and announced plans to appeal.