The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) Appeal Board has delivered a dramatic conclusion to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 final, ruling that the Senegal national football team forfeited the match. The decision awards the championship to the Morocco national football team, with the final score officially recorded as 3–0.
The ruling comes after an appeal by Morocco challenging Senegal’s conduct under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations. CAF’s Appeal Board upheld Morocco’s protest, overturning a prior decision by the CAF Disciplinary Board. The board found that Senegal had breached competition rules, leading to the forfeiture.
“The conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope of Articles 82 and 84,” the ruling noted, emphasizing that all other motions outside the appeal were dismissed.
Beyond the match outcome, the Appeal Board addressed multiple disciplinary matters arising from the final. Morocco’s Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct, but his two-match suspension was partly suspended, and a USD 100,000 fine was rescinded.
CAF also confirmed Morocco’s responsibility for the conduct of ball boys, reducing the fine to USD 50,000, while upholding a USD 100,000 fine for interference around the VAR area. Additionally, the fine for a laser incident was cut to USD 10,000.
The decision has sparked widespread debate across the African football community, with fans and analysts discussing the unprecedented nature of awarding a continental final by forfeiture. Senegal’s players and federation now face scrutiny for their role in the controversial incident, while Morocco officially claims its AFCON 2025 title under extraordinary circumstances.
CAF’s ruling underscores the governing body’s commitment to enforcing tournament regulations and ensuring that conduct on and off the pitch aligns with the standards of the competition. The final chapter of AFCON 2025 will be remembered as one of the most unusual and controversial conclusions in the history of African football.
