The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has upheld Morocco’s protest and ruled that Senegal forfeited the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, officially awarding the match 3-0 to Morocco.
The decision overturns an earlier ruling by the CAF Disciplinary Board and follows an appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) regarding incidents during the final.
CAF confirmed that Senegal’s conduct during the match fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, resulting in the forfeiture. The Appeal Board further determined that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) breached Article 82 through the actions of its team, validating Morocco’s protest and formally declaring them winners.
In a separate ruling, Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct. His punishment was reduced to a two-match suspension (one suspended), and a previously imposed $100,000 fine was cancelled.
CAF also addressed off-field incidents involving Morocco. The federation was held responsible for the conduct of ball boys, with the associated fine reduced to $50,000. A $100,000 fine for interference around the VAR review area was upheld, while a sanction related to a laser incident was reduced to $10,000.
All other motions in the case were dismissed, bringing a conclusive end to proceedings surrounding one of the most contentious finals in AFCON history.
The ruling concludes a prolonged dispute that had cast uncertainty over the outcome of the tournament and reinforces CAF’s enforcement of competition regulations in high-stakes matches.
