CAF Awards Morocco AFCON 2025 Title Following Senegal Forfeit Decision

Morocco national football team have been declared winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Senegal national football team were ruled to have forfeited the final following a controversial walk-off.
Confederation of African Football awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory after upholding an official appeal.

Morocco have been officially crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football overturned the result of their final defeat to Senegal.

Senegal had originally won the final 1-0 on 18 January, in a match overshadowed by controversy after their players refused to continue playing following the award of a stoppage-time penalty with the score level.

After a delay of around 17 minutes, play resumed and Brahim Díaz saw his penalty saved before Pape Gueye scored the winning goal in extra time.

However, CAF has now ruled that Senegal forfeited the match due to their actions during the game.

In an official statement, CAF confirmed that Senegal are “declared to have forfeited the final match,” with the result recorded as a 3-0 victory in favour of Morocco.

The decision followed an appeal submitted by the Moroccan Football Federation, which CAF said was admissible and subsequently upheld.

CAF stated that Senegal’s conduct breached Article 82 of the tournament regulations, which applies when a team refuses to play or leaves the field without the referee’s permission.

Under Article 84, any such violation results in automatic forfeiture, with the match awarded as a 3-0 loss.

As a result, Morocco have been officially awarded the title, with CAF confirming the revised outcome of the final.

WRITTEN BY

Hailey

Hailey Russell is a football journalist and former Division 1 collegiate athlete in the United States, bringing a unique blend of elite playing experience and professional insight to her work. Currently competing at the professional level in Europe, Hailey combines first-hand knowledge of the modern game with sharp analysis across match reports, player development, and tactical breakdowns.