Senegal Stripped of AFCON Title as Morocco Declared Champions

Senegal have been sensationally stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, with Morocco officially declared champions, two months after a chaotic final in Rabat. Senegal have announced they will appeal the decision.

The controversy arose during the final on 18 January, when several Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest after a late penalty was awarded to Morocco in second-half stoppage time. Captain Sadio Mané persuaded his teammates to return to the field, but Morocco missed the spot-kick. Senegal’s Pape Gueye then scored in extra time to secure a 1–0 victory on the pitch.

However, following Morocco’s appeal, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match. The result has been officially recorded as a 3–0 win in favour of Morocco. CAF cited Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, which state that any team “refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee” shall forfeit the game and be eliminated from the competition.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation clarified that their appeal was not intended to contest the sporting result but to ensure the regulations were correctly applied, reaffirming their commitment to the integrity and stability of African football competitions.

Senegalese Football Federation condemned the ruling as “unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable,” and announced plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The federation argued that the decision damages the reputation of African football.

Chaotic Scenes in Rabat

The final had already been disrupted, with Senegalese supporters attempting a pitch invasion and the players halting the game for nearly 20 minutes to protest the late penalty awarded by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala, following a VAR review of a challenge on Brahim Díaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Despite the disruption, Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy saved the weak penalty attempt, and Gueye’s 94th-minute strike in extra time appeared to seal victory for Senegal.

Following CAF’s announcement, several Senegalese players reacted on social media. Defender Moussa Niakhate, who plays for Lyon, posted a photo of himself lifting the AFCON trophy with the caption “they're mad,” seemingly referring to CAF.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who attended the final, criticised the Senegalese players’ actions, stating: “It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right.”

CAF had already imposed disciplinary sanctions in January, including substantial fines on both federations for unsportsmanlike conduct and violations of fair play principles. Meanwhile, the appeal trial of 18 Senegalese supporters imprisoned for “hooliganism” after the final has been postponed until 30 March.