The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has ruled that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final be decided by forfeit, handing the title to the Morocco national football team.
“The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article
84 Regulations of the CAF African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National
Team is declared to have forfeited the final match,” CAF Appeal Board posted on
its X account.
The final, played on January 18, 2026, in Rabat, initially
ended in a 1-0 victory for the Senegal national football team.
During the match, Brahim Díaz had a penalty saved by Édouard
Mendy, before Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal in extra time.
Despite the on-field result, the match became the subject of
dispute after Senegal protested a late penalty decision.
CAF stated that Senegal, through its team's conduct,
violated Article 82 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations. Article 82 deems
a team that refuses to play or leaves early as the loser and eliminated.
Article 84 adds that such teams are permanently eliminated
and forfeit the match 3-0.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese Football Federation has rejected
the ruling and is preparing to challenge it at the Court of Arbitration for
Sport.
“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces this unfair,
unprecedented, and unacceptable decision, which discredits African football,”
the federation stated in a statement dated March 17, 2026, following the CAF
ruling.
“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese
football, the Federation will initiate an appeal as soon as possible before the
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.”
The Fédération Sénégalaise de Football reiterated its strong commitment to integrity and fair play and stated that it would continue to keep the public informed of any developments.