The Confederation of African Football has officially recognised Morocco as champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, following a controversial ruling that overturned the original final result.
Checks on the CAF website now show Morocco as the winners of the tournament, with Senegal recorded as runners-up and Nigeria in third place.
The new update follows a ruling issued on March 18 by CAF’s Appeals Board, which overturned the on-field result of the January 18 final in Rabat.
Initially, Senegal had secured a 1-0 victory in extra time, thanks to a goal by Pape Gueye. But the victory came in controversial circumstances after Senegal had walked off the pitch in protest during the original 90 minutes.
They were aggrieved by two decisions, the first of which saw Ismaila Sarr’s goal chalked off, before Morocco were awarded a penalty at the death after VAR intervention.
Senegal manager Pape Thiaw appeared to urge his side to leave the field before they went down the tunnel and re-emerged around 15 minutes later, after which Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the penalty to force extra time.
CAF’s Appeals Board concluded that this constituted a forfeiture under the tournament’s regulations, and the final was officially recorded as a 3-0 win for Morocco, granting them their second continental title.
CAF stated that the decision was necessary to maintain the integrity of its rules. Nevertheless, the ruling has prompted debate among fans and analysts, with many questioning whether administrative interventions should override on-pitch results.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese football federation has said it will appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
