"Senegal Declared to Have Forfeited" – Morocco Awarded AFCON 2025 After Stunning CAF Ruling

Morocco has been declared the winner of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made a decision due to Senegal's breach of competition regulations.

The decision follows an official review of the match, which had originally ended in a 1-0 win for Senegal on January 18. CAF confirmed that the result has now been recorded as a 3-0 victory for Morocco.

CAF Cites Rule Violation

CAF stated that Senegal’s actions during the closing stages of the match constituted a violation of its rules. The governing body referred to Article 82, which treats a team’s refusal to continue play as a forfeit, and Article 84, which mandates a 3-0 result in such cases.

The incident in question occurred late in regulation time when Senegal players briefly left the field following a penalty awarded to Morocco. Although play resumed after a delay and Brahim Diaz failed to convert the spot-kick, the sequence was later central to Morocco’s appeal.

Morocco’s Appeal Upheld

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation said its submission focused on the enforcement of competition rules rather than disputing the outcome on the pitch.

"The Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match," CAF said in a statement, adding that the result was "officially recorded as 3-0" in favour of Morocco.

The Moroccan federation added: "The appeal was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition regulations."

Title Awarded After Review

With the ruling, Morocco is officially recognised as the champions of AFCON 2025. CAF described the decision as a regulatory outcome based on the competition framework, bringing a formal close to the tournament.