CAF Declares Morocco AFCON 2025 Champions After Appeal

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has officially stripped Senegal of the AFCON 2025 title, declaring Morocco the winners following a ruling on an appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF). This decision, announced on Tuesday, states that Senegal's national team forfeited the final match due to violations of Article 82 of the competition's regulations, resulting in a 3-0 victory awarded to Morocco.

The CAF disciplinary board set aside the previous ruling and confirmed that Senegal's conduct during the final violated competition rules. Additionally, Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct, leading to a two-match suspension and a fine.

The match had been marred by controversy, including crowd disturbances and multiple stoppages for VAR reviews. Morocco's formal protest cited breaches of CAF regulations during the game, which ultimately led to this unprecedented annulment of the match result, raising questions about officiating integrity in African football.