African football shock: caf reverses Senegal’s can 2025 victory, declares Morocco champions

• The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Tuesday, March 17, the annulment of Senegal’s CAN 2025 triumph, originally secured against Morocco (1-0 after extra time) on January 18.
• CAF’s appeals committee penalized the “Lions of Teranga” with a 3-0 forfeit victory for Morocco, citing incidents during the final match.
• The Senegalese Football Federation retains the right to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) within a ten-day period.

A seismic announcement has rocked African football. The Appeals Commission of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday, March 17, rescinded Senegal’s title, which they had clinched in the CAN 2025 final against Morocco with a 1-0 extra-time victory on January 18. The governing body of African football officially recorded a forfeit defeat for the “Lions of Teranga,” thereby awarding the championship to Morocco, who were initially beaten on their home turf but ultimately crowned champions via a 3-0 carpet victory two months later. This is significant African football news.

“The Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided, in application of Article 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations, to declare the Senegalese national team to have forfeited the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with the result being ratified as 3-0 in favour of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation,” CAF stated in an official communiqué (nouvelle fenêtre). This CAF CAN 2025 decision has sent ripples across the continent.

Penalized for abandoning the pitch

The controversy stems from the events of January 18. With the score deadlocked at 0-0 in extra time, the referee awarded a penalty to Morocco. In a dramatic turn, a significant number of Senegalese players walked off the field and retreated to their changing room in protest. This triggered a twenty-minute suspension of play, during which some “Lions of Teranga” supporters invaded the pitch and clashed with stadium security. The match eventually resumed amidst disarray, with Brahim Diaz missing the subsequent penalty for Morocco. Pape Gueye then scored for Senegal during the remainder of extra time, seemingly securing the title.

These tumultuous events prompted the Moroccan Federation to lodge a formal complaint with CAF immediately after the final whistle. Two months later, the appeals committee ultimately ruled in favor of the “Lions of the Atlas,” deeming the conduct of Sadio Mané’s teammates to fall under the purview of Articles 82 and 84 of the CAN Regulations. This latest football news highlights the strict enforcement of rules.

Article 82 explicitly states that “if, for any reason, a team leaves the field before the regulated end of the match without the referee’s authorization, it shall be considered to have lost and shall be definitively eliminated from the ongoing competition.” Furthermore, Article 84 mandates that “the team that violates the provisions of Articles 82 and 83 shall be permanently excluded from the competition” and that it “loses the match 3-0.”

Appeal to CAS remains an option

This unprecedented ruling in a major football competition has sparked fierce reactions from the Senegalese players since its announcement. “I think we are with madmen,” midfielder Pape Demba Diop posted on Instagram. “Come get them! They are crazy!” exclaimed his teammate Moussa Niakhaté in a story, referring to the trophy and his winner’s medal. He further added in another post, showing himself with the cup: “This is not AI, it’s real.”

In a statement, the Moroccan Federation declared that it “acknowledges the decision” issued by the CAF Appeals Commission. The governing body also reiterated that “its approach has never been to challenge the sporting performance of the teams involved in this competition, but solely to demand the application of the competition regulations.” Nevertheless, it is widely anticipated that the Senegalese Federation will not let the matter rest. Decisions from the CAF appeals committee can be contested before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) within a ten-day window, ensuring this CAF CAN 2025 decision continues to be a major talking point in African sports developments.

By Martin Ngu — Politics and National Security