Breaking News: CAF awards AFCON 2025 title to Morocco after Senegal was found guilty of violating Article 82 and 84 of AFCON Regulations
Goku Justice -18th March 2026
In a dramatic and unprecedented ruling, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has officially declared that the Senegal national football team forfeited the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, awarding a 3–0 victory to the Morocco national football team.
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The decision follows an appeal filed by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), challenging earlier findings by the CAF Disciplinary Board. The Appeal Board ruled in favour of Morocco, setting aside the initial decision and determining that Senegal’s conduct breached key provisions of the AFCON regulations.
According to CAF, Senegal was found guilty of violating Article 82, which relates to misconduct, triggering the application of Article 84 — the regulation that governs match forfeitures. As a result, the final has been officially recorded as a 3–0 win for Morocco.
The Appeal Board concluded the following:
Senegal’s actions fell within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of AFCON regulations.The protest lodged by Morocco was valid and justified.
The Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) was responsible for the misconduct of its team.
The match was forfeited, with Morocco declared the winner
This ruling effectively hands Morocco the AFCON 2025 title under extraordinary circumstances, marking one of the most controversial conclusions in the tournament’s history.
Despite being awarded the match, Morocco was not entirely cleared of wrongdoing. The CAF Appeal Board upheld several disciplinary findings but reduced some penalties:
Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct and handed a two-match suspension, with one match suspended. His initial $100,000 fine was отменен.
Morocco was held responsible for the behaviour of ball boys, though the fine was reduced to $50,000.
A $100,000 fine for interference around the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review area was upheld.
A laser-related incident saw Morocco’s fine reduced to $10,000.
The ruling closes a turbulent chapter in AFCON 2025, with administrative decisions ultimately determining the tournament winner rather than events on the pitch. While Morocco emerges as champions, the decision is likely to spark widespread debate across African football.This case underscores CAF’s strict enforcement of disciplinary regulations and sets a powerful precedent for future competitions.
