The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has stripped Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title they won in January, awarding the championship to Morocco instead.
The decision comes after several Senegalese players temporarily left the field late in the match to protest a controversial refereeing decision. In a statement released on Tuesday, CAF declared that Senegal had forfeited the match—originally a 1-0 extra-time victory—officially recording the result as a 3-0 win for Morocco.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) emphasized in its own statement that its actions were not intended to dispute the athletic achievements of any participating teams, but simply to request the enforcement of competition rules.
The final was marred by controversy. In the closing minutes, some Senegalese supporters attempted to invade the pitch, while Senegal’s players halted play for nearly 20 minutes in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco. The penalty was given at the end of normal time, with the score still 0-0, prompting a walk-off by Senegal’s players and the lengthy delay.
After play resumed, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the penalty, and Senegal’s Pape Gueye later scored the decisive goal in extra time. Originally, this secured a 1-0 victory for Senegal, but the match was overshadowed by the chaotic scenes and disputed decisions.
Earlier, Senegal had also seen a goal disallowed for a foul following a VAR review. The tension escalated further when some away fans threw objects onto the field and attempted to breach security barriers, only to be stopped by police and stewards.
CAF’s ruling retroactively changes the outcome, officially awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and the AFCON title.
