In a historic and controversial decision, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially declared Morocco the winner of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, overturning the result of the final match against Senegal.
The CAF Appeal Board ruled on Tuesday that the Senegalese national team forfeited the showpiece event, awarding the match 3-0 in favor of Morocco. The ruling upholds an appeal lodged by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and sets aside the previous decision by the CAF Disciplinary Board.
According to the official statement from CAF, the judgment was made under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, which pertain to team conduct and the forfeiture of matches. While the specifics of Senegal’s infraction have not been detailed in the initial ruling, the board found that “the conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope” of these articles.
“The appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is declared admissible in form, and the appeal is upheld,” the CAF Appeal Board ruling stated. “It is declared that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), through the conduct of its team, infringed Article 82… In application of Article 84… the Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the FRMF.”
Mixed Rulings on Morocco’s Conduct
In a series of related decisions, the Appeal Board also addressed several grievances against the Moroccan federation stemming from incidents during the final.
Morocco’s player, Ismaël Saibari (No. 11), had his suspension reduced. While the board confirmed his misconduct under the disciplinary code, his sanction was amended to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended. A significant fine of USD 100,000 imposed on the player was also set aside.
However, the board upheld findings of improper conduct against the Moroccan federation itself, confirming its responsibility for three separate incidents during the match:
· Ball Boys: The board confirmed the FRMF is responsible for the conduct of ball boys during the match. The initial fine for this incident was reduced to USD 50,000.
· VAR Interference: An appeal regarding interference in the On-Field Review (OFR) and VAR area was dismissed. A fine of USD 100,000 imposed on the FRMF for this infraction was confirmed.
· Laser Incident: An appeal regarding the use of lasers by spectators was partially upheld, but the FRMF’s responsibility was confirmed. The fine for this incident was reduced to USD 10,000.
With this ruling, Morocco is now officially recognized as the winner of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. CAF has stated that further details regarding the Appeal Board’s comprehensive decision are expected to be outlined soon.
