Morocco were declared champions of the Africa Cup of Nations and Senegal were stripped of the title after an appeal over the outcome of the final was accepted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday cdsj.
Senegal is said to have forfeited the match in the Moroccan capital Rabat on January 18 after walking off the field in protest against a potentially decisive penalty awarded to the country.
It came back after 14 minutes to win the match 1–0, thanks to a Pape Gueye goal in extra time. The CAF Appeals Council replaced that result on Tuesday with a 3-0 victory for Morocco.
The decision adds an extra layer of controversy to the final, where the walk-off and fighting between players and spectators led CAF to admit that the image of African football had been seriously tarnished.
The Senegalese Football Federation (SFF) said it would now refer the case to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport in a bid to overturn Tuesday’s decision.
«This is a mockery; this decision is based on absolutely nothing. It has no legal basis,» Abdoulaye Seydou Sow, the secretary general of the SFF, told state broadcaster RTS1.
“And from what we saw this morning when the hearing started, we already had serious doubts – it is clear that the judge did not come to rule on the case, but to execute orders.
“The president of the federation will contact the lawyers; we will talk to the competent authorities, and then we will go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which will make the final decision.
«We will not back down. The Senegalese people should not doubt it. The truth is on Senegal’s side, the law is on Senegal’s side.»
“Respect the rules”
Tuesday’s decision means Morocco will be crowned African champions for the second time, 50 years after the country won its first Cup of Nations title.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation acknowledged the decision and reiterated that the appeal was solely aimed at the correct application of the competition rules.
“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respect the rules, the clarity of the competitive framework and the stability of African competitions,” the federation said in a statement.
The appeals committee ruled that the conduct of the Senegalese team fell “within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Rules of the Africa Cup of Nations.”
They state that “if a team, for any reason, refuses to play or leaves the field before the regular end of the match without the permission of the referee, it will be considered the loser.”
In the final, the Senegalese players stormed off the field in protest against a penalty awarded to them by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala after a VAR check deep into stoppage time at the end of the regular 90 minutes.
Officials and players jostled with each other as the referee consulted the side screen, and as he made his decision, Senegalese coach Pape Bouna Thiaw, who was later fined $100,000 and suspended, ordered his players off the field.
They were lured back onto the pitch by winger Sadio Mane, only to see Morocco’s Brahim Diaz tamely tap the ball from the penalty spot into the arms of Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, sending the match into extra time.
CAF also announced on Tuesday the annulment of a $100,000 fine for Moroccan striker Ismael Saibari and a reduction of his suspension from three matches to one for his role in the chaotic scenes.
However, a $100,000 fine imposed on Morocco for their players and officials attempting to interfere with the VAR process remains.
Published on March 18, 2026
