Morocco declared winner of Africa Cup of Nations 2025 after controversial final
The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final between Morocco and Senegal in Rabat on January 18th became one of the most controversial in tournament history. While Senegal celebrated their victory on the pitch, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation filed an appeal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding the Senegalese team’s conduct during the match.
The CAF Appeals Jury has now ruled in favor of Morocco. According to their official statement, Senegal’s actions during the final violated articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations. The jury determined that Senegal’s team left the field without referee authorization, which constitutes a forfeit under competition rules.
The decision means Morocco is officially declared the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations champion, with the result officially recorded as a 3-0 victory. Senegal, who had initially celebrated their triumph, has been stripped of their title and declared forfeit by the governing body.
The CAF Appeals Jury cited that Senegal’s premature departure from the pitch directly contravened the tournament’s established rules. Article 82 states that any team leaving the field without authorization is considered defeated, while article 84 empowers the governing body to exclude teams that violate these provisions and award victory by default.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation responded to the decision with a statement emphasizing their commitment to fair play and respect for competition regulations. “Our appeal was never intended to question the sporting performance of the teams involved,” the federation noted. “We simply sought the proper application of the tournament’s rules.”
Key regulatory provisions applied in the decision
The CAF Appeals Jury based their decision on specific regulatory articles:
- Article 82: Teams leaving the field without referee authorization are considered defeated and eliminated from the competition
- Article 84: Teams violating articles 82 and 83 are excluded from the competition and lose matches by default score (3-0)
This ruling follows the chaotic events of the final match, where Senegalese players temporarily abandoned the pitch in protest, creating a contentious conclusion to what had been an intense and closely contested game.