CAF awards AFCON 2025 final to Morocco after Senegal forfeit

2026-03-18 - 03:20

CAIRO — Confederation of African Football’s Appeal Board has ruled that Senegal national football team forfeited the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, awarding the match 3-0 to Morocco national football team.The decision came following an appeal submitted by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football, which was upheld by the CAF Appeal Board. The ruling overturns a previous decision by the CAF Disciplinary Board.CAF said Senegal’s conduct fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, confirming that the team had breached the competition rules. As a result, the final of the TotalEnergies AFCON Morocco 2025 has officially been recorded as a 3-0 victory for Morocco.The board stated that the protest filed by the Moroccan federation was valid and that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football had committed regulatory violations through the actions of its team.In a separate ruling, the Appeal Board partially upheld an appeal concerning Ismael Saibari, confirming misconduct under CAF disciplinary regulations. His sanction was reduced to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, while a previously imposed $100,000 fine was cancelled.CAF also reviewed multiple incidents related to the final. The Moroccan federation was held responsible for the conduct of ball boys, with the fine reduced to $50,000. A separate $100,000 fine related to interference around the VAR review area was upheld.Additionally, the fine linked to a laser incident was reduced to $10,000 following a partial acceptance of the appeal.All other motions submitted in the case were dismissed.