CAF Awards AFCON 2025 Title to Morocco After Senegal Forfeits Final
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has officially awarded the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 title to Morocco after ruling that Senegal forfeited the final match due to regulatory violations.
In a decision announced by the Confédération Africaine de Football, the Appeal Board determined that Senegal’s conduct during the final fell under Articles 82 and 84 of AFCON regulations, resulting in the match being recorded as a 3–0 victory in favor of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
The ruling follows an appeal filed by the Moroccan football federation challenging an earlier decision by the CAF Disciplinary Board.
According to the Appeal Board, the protest submitted by Morocco was admissible and justified. The panel subsequently set aside the previous ruling and concluded that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) had breached tournament regulations through the conduct of its national team.
“The Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football,” the statement read.
Beyond the forfeiture decision, the Appeal Board also addressed several disciplinary matters involving both teams.
Moroccan international Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct under CAF’s disciplinary code. However, his initial sanctions were revised, reducing his punishment to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, and removing a previously imposed $100,000 fine.
CAF also upheld findings that Morocco bore responsibility for the conduct of ball boys during the match. The fine related to that incident was reduced to $50,000.
Additional sanctions tied to interference around the VAR review area were maintained at $100,000, while a separate fine linked to a laser incident was reduced to $10,000.
CAF’s decision was grounded in Articles 82 and 84 of AFCON regulations, which govern misconduct and forfeiture in official matches. Article 84, in particular, allows for a match to be awarded to the opposing team in cases where serious violations are established.
While CAF did not detail the specific actions that led to Senegal’s forfeiture, the ruling indicates that the violations were deemed significant enough to affect the integrity of the final.
Implications and Next Steps
The decision effectively confirms Morocco as champions of AFCON 2025, marking a significant outcome for the host nation and its football federation.
CAF has not indicated whether further appeals or legal challenges may be pursued by Senegal, but the ruling from the Appeal Board represents one of the highest levels of adjudication within African football governance structures.
The development is likely to generate debate across the continent, particularly regarding enforcement of disciplinary rules and the use of forfeiture in high-stakes matches such as a continental final.
