In a controversial decision, Morocco was crowned champion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned its earlier loss to Senegal in the final, following the events that transpired during the match.
Senegal had won the final, held on January 18, 1-0 in a tense encounter, particularly after a penalty was awarded to Morocco in stoppage time, prompting Senegalese players to stop playing in protest against the referee’s decision.
After a 17-minute delay, play resumed, with Ibrahim Diaz missing the penalty before Pape Gueye scored the winning goal for Senegal in extra time.
However, CAF later intervened, overturning the result and awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory.
CAF explained in its statement that its decision came after an appeal submitted by the Moroccan Football Federation, which was accepted in form and substance. The statement indicated that the Senegalese team’s actions constituted a violation of Article 82 of the tournament regulations.
This article stipulates that any team refusing to complete a match or leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission will be considered to have forfeited the match and will be disqualified from the competition. Article 84 further specifies that the penalty includes a 3-0 loss and final disqualification.
