Senegal Stripped of Africa Cup of Nations Title
Senegal has been stripped of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title two months after winning it, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarding the trophy to Morocco instead in a decision that has provoked fury across the continent and calls for an international corruption investigation.
CAF's appeals board ruled on Tuesday that Senegal had forfeited the final in January by walking off the pitch in protest, officially recording the result as a 3-0 win for Morocco. Senegal had beaten the hosts 1-0 after extra time in Rabat following one of the most chaotic finals in the tournament's history.
The walk-off was triggered in the 98th minute when referee Jean-Jacques Ndala, following a VAR review, awarded Morocco a penalty for a challenge on forward Brahim Diaz moments after disallowing a Senegal goal at the other end of the pitch. Senegal's players and coaching staff left the pitch, with fans invading the field. After a delay of around 17 minutes, the players returned. Diaz's penalty was saved, and Pape Gueye's extra-time strike won the match for Senegal.
CAF cited article 82 of its tournament regulations, which states that if a team "leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered loser and shall be eliminated." Morocco had appealed to CAF for the result to be overturned immediately after the final. That initial challenge was dismissed, but the appeals board ultimately sided with the Moroccan FA two months later.
The Senegalese government has responded to being stripped of the title by calling for an "independent international investigation" into "suspected corruption" at CAF, describing the ruling as "a manifestly erroneous interpretation of the regulations, leading to a grossly illegal and deeply unjust decision." It added: "Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt at dispossession."
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) announced that it would take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. FSF secretary general Abdoulaye Seydou Sow called the ruling a "travesty" and "a shame for Africa." "We felt that the jury wasn't there to uphold the law, but to carry out an order," he said. "We will stop at nothing. The law is on our side. The fight is far from over." A CAS appeal typically takes around a year, meaning the dispute will likely still be unresolved when both nations play at the 2026 World Cup.
Several Senegal players have made it clear that they have no intention of handing back their winners' medals. Defender Moussa Niakhate posted a photo of himself holding the trophy on Instagram with the message: "Come and get it! They're crazy!" Left back El Hadji Malick Diouf added: "It's not what I expected … this thing isn't going anywhere." Everton's Idrissa Gueye wrote: "We know what we experienced that evening in Rabat. And no-one can take that away from us."
Critics of the ruling have pointed to an apparent conflict of interest at the heart of CAF's decision-making. Raymond Hack, CAF's former head of disciplinary and a member of FIFA's disciplinary committee, said the ruling raised questions about "political interference" given that Morocco's football association president Fouzi Lekjaa also serves as CAF's first vice-president. "The circus continues," Hack told BBC World Service. He also argued that the referee's authority had effectively been overridden.
"He is the only person who can call an end to the game. Not the authorities, not the governing bodies, only the referee. Otherwise you're going to have situations worldwide where every time someone disagrees with a decision, they're going to go on appeal."
The ruling has also reduced the fines that were previously given to Morocco over separate incidents in the final: ball boys had repeatedly discarded Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy's towel, and at one point three ball boys tackled Senegal's reserve goalkeeper to the ground. Fines for laser use by Moroccan fans were also reduced.
The verdict gives Morocco its first African title since 1976, and denies Senegal what would have been their second crown after winning the competition in 2021. Morocco coach Walid Regragui, who guided the team to the World Cup semi-finals in 2022, had already left his job two weeks ago following criticism for not winning the title outright, though the latest twist may yet change the picture around his departure.
