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…imposes sundry fines on both countries
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) in an unpopular move on Tuesday night, stripped Senegal as the Champion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, and officially declared Morocco as the champions following a controversial ruling by its Appeal Board.
In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, CAF announced that the Senegal national team had forfeited the final match under Article 84 of the AFCON regulations, with the result awarded as a 3–0 victory in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
The decision followed an appeal lodged by Morocco challenging earlier rulings by the CAF Disciplinary Board.
“The appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is declared admissible in form and the appeal is upheld,” the statement read. “The CAF Disciplinary Board decision is set aside.”
CAF further ruled that the conduct of the Senegal team during the final violated Article 82 of the competition’s regulations, leading to the forfeiture of the match.
“It is declared that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), through the conduct of its team, infringed Article 82,” the Appeal Board stated, adding that all other reliefs sought outside the ruling were dismissed.
The dramatic reversal is one decision in the history of the continental tournament that would spark conversations in the coming days and weeks especially, also, this is the first time such a decision will become manifested in the history of CAF.
Beyond the forfeiture ruling, CAF also reviewed several disciplinary issues arising from the heated encounter.
Morocco’s player, Ismaël Saibari, was found guilty of misconduct in breach of Articles 82 and 83(1) of the CAF Disciplinary Code. However, his punishment was reduced to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, while a previously imposed $100,000 fine was scrapped.
CAF also confirmed misconduct involving match-day incidents, including actions by ball boys, interference around the VAR review area, and the use of laser pointers.
While Morocco was held responsible for the conduct of the ball boys, its fine was reduced to $50,000. A separate $100,000 fine relating to interference around the VAR area was upheld, while the penalty for the laser incident was reduced to $10,000.
The AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco was marred by controversy, with both teams lodging complaints over officiating decisions, crowd disturbances, and alleged unsporting conduct.
The match, played amid heightened tension, saw multiple stoppages and VAR reviews, sparking outrage from officials and fans on both sides. Senegal had initially emerged victorious on the pitch, triggering nationwide celebrations.
However, Morocco quickly filed a formal protest, citing breaches of CAF regulations and irregularities during the game.
Subsequent investigations by CAF’s disciplinary bodies deepened the crisis, exposing a series of infractions that would ultimately lead to the unprecedented annulment of the match result.
The latest ruling is expected to trigger widespread reactions across the African football community, with questions already being raised about the integrity of officiating, disciplinary consistency, and the governance of African football’s biggest tournament.
However, at the moment, Fédération Sénégalaise de Football has yet to publicly respond to the decision, but sources indicate that an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) may be imminent Sahara reporter stated.
