A dramatic turn of events has unfolded in African football. While Senegal celebrated their victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco in Rabat on January 18, the African Football Confederation (CAF) has since overturned the result. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation filed an appeal regarding the team’s conduct during the match, which was deemed valid by the CAF Appeals Jury.

The jury’s decision states: “The CAF Appeals Jury has ruled, under Article 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations, to declare the Senegal national team forfeited in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, with the result officially recorded as a 3-0 victory for the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.”

The jury specifically cited Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations. Article 82 stipulates that “if any team leaves the field before the end of regulation time without the referee’s permission, it will be considered defeated and disqualified from the competition.” This appears to be the key factor in the decision, as Senegal temporarily walked off the pitch during the final.

Article 84 further clarifies that “teams violating the provisions of Articles 82 and 83 will be permanently excluded from the competition and will lose the match 3-0.”

The Moroccan Football Federation responded with a statement saying: “Our appeal was never intended to question the sporting achievements of the teams in this competition, but solely to request the proper application of the tournament regulations.”

The decision has sparked widespread debate across West Africa and the football world. While some view it as a strict application of regulations, others criticize it as a controversial ruling that overturns a hard-fought victory.