The Confederation of African Football Appeal Board has officially declared Morocco the winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after Senegal was forced to forfeit the final.
The decision, released Tuesday, March 17, 2026, effectively wipes out the original match result and replaces it with a 3–0 walkover in favour of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
The body based the ruling on Article 84 of the CAF regulations.
The Appeal Board found that the Senegal national team’s conduct during the final fell into direct violation of tournament rules, leading the board to set aside a previous decision by the Disciplinary Board.
While the specific nature of Senegal’s infraction was not detailed beyond the regulatory citations, the Appeal Board was firm: the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) was found in breach of Article 82, resulting in the immediate forfeiture of the match.
While the FRMF celebrated the tournament victory, the Appeal Board’s session dealt with several other disciplinary matters involving Moroccan players and match-day conduct.
Ismaël Saibari, the Moroccan midfielder, saw his initial sanctions softened.
His fine of $100,000 was completely scrapped, and his suspension was reduced to two matches (with one match suspended). However, the board maintained that his conduct still constituted a violation of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
The board upheld that Morocco was responsible for the behaviour of ball boys during the final. However, they opted for leniency, reducing the associated fine to $50,000.
Not all appeals were successful. The Board dismissed Morocco’s attempt to overturn a $100,000 fine related to “interference around the VAR review area”, confirming the original penalty.
A fine regarding the use of lasers by fans was reduced to $10,000.
The ruling brings a controversial end to the Morocco 2025 campaign. By upholding the FRMF’s protest and declaring Senegal to have forfeited, CAF has effectively rewritten the history of the tournament’s final match.
All other motions for relief from both parties were dismissed, making this the final word on the matter from CAF’s highest appellate body.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
