GENEVA — Morocco was awarded the Africa Cup of Nations title on Tuesday after Confederation of African Football judges overturned Senegal’s victory in the chaotic Jan. 18 final in Rabat.
CAF’s appeals board ruled that Senegal “is declared to have forfeited the final” and converted Senegal’s 1-0 extra-time win into a 3-0 default victory for hosts Morocco. Senegal said it would appeal but did not specify where; one likely avenue is the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In the final, Senegal’s players, led by coach Pape Thiaw, walked off the field during stoppage time for about 15 minutes and fans attempted to storm the pitch after a penalty was awarded to Morocco that would decide the match. When play resumed, Morocco forward Brahim Diaz’s spot kick was saved by Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, and Senegal subsequently scored the only goal in extra time to win 1-0. Earlier, Senegal had seen an apparent go-ahead goal in stoppage time ruled out for a foul on Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi, a call TV replays suggested involved minimal contact.
CAF initially imposed fines of more than $1 million and bans on Senegalese and Moroccan players and officials after an initial disciplinary hearing but left the match result intact. On appeal, the governing body cited article 82 of the tournament regulations, which states that a team that withdraws, refuses to play, or leaves the ground before the regular end of a match without the referee’s authorization shall be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition. Critics say the appeal ruling effectively overrode on-field decisions by the match referee.
The verdict gives Morocco its first African title since 1976 and denies Senegal a second crown and a possible repeat after their 2021 triumph. Senegalese Football Federation Secretary General Abdoulaye Seydou Sow said the federation would appeal and called the decision “a shame for Africa,” calling the ruling “a travesty that rests on no legal basis” and suggesting the panel ignored the law.
Several Senegal players reacted on social media. Defender Moussa Niakhaté posted a photo of himself holding the trophy with the caption: “Come and get it! They’re crazy!” Left back El Hadj Malick Diouf wrote, “It’s not what I expected… this thing isn’t going anywhere.”
Any appeal to CAS would typically take many months, likely after the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Both teams have qualified for that tournament: Senegal was drawn with France, Norway and a playoff bracket winner, with matches at MetLife Stadium near New York; Morocco will face Brazil, Scotland and Haiti, opening at MetLife against Brazil. Under Walid Regragui, Morocco reached the World Cup semifinals in 2022; Regragui left his post two weeks ago following criticism for not winning AFCON, saying the team needed a fresh start before the World Cup.
If Senegal’s appeal fails, Morocco will enter the 2026 World Cup as African champion.
