By Sunday Apah
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has ruled in favor of Morocco’s protest, declaring that Senegal forfeited the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final and officially awarding the match to Morocco with a 3–0 result.
This decision reverses an earlier verdict by the CAF Disciplinary Board and comes after an appeal filed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) concerning events that occurred during the championship match.
CAF stated that Senegal’s actions during the final violated Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, leading to the forfeiture.
The Appeal Board also concluded that the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) breached Article 82 through the conduct of its national team, thereby upholding Morocco’s protest and confirming them as tournament champions.
In a related ruling, Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari was found to have committed misconduct. His suspension was reduced to two matches—one of which is suspended—and an earlier $100,000 fine was rescinded.
CAF also ruled on several off-field incidents involving Morocco. The federation was held accountable for the behavior of ball boys, with the corresponding fine lowered to $50,000.
A separate $100,000 fine for interference near the VAR review area was maintained, while a penalty stemming from a laser-pointing incident was reduced to $10,000.
All remaining appeals in the case were dismissed, bringing closure to one of the most disputed finals in AFCON history.
The ruling ends an extended period of uncertainty regarding the tournament’s outcome and underscores CAF’s commitment to upholding its competition rules in high-profile matches.
