Senegal protests after being stripped of Afcon title

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has strongly protested a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that stripped the West African nation of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 title and awarded the final match to Morocco by forfeit.

In a strongly worded statement this Wednesday morning, the FSF said it had received notification of the ruling by the CAF Appeal Board regarding case DC23316, which followed a complaint lodged during the AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco.

CAF ruled that the Senegal national team forfeited the match, with the result officially recorded as a 3–0 victory in favour of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). The decision effectively reverses the outcome of the final and hands the title to Morocco.

According to CAF, the appeal filed by the Moroccan federation was admissible and was upheld. The Appeal Board also annulled the earlier decision by the CAF Disciplinary Board, arguing that the Moroccan side’s right to be heard had not been respected during the first proceedings.

The board further determined that the conduct of the Senegal team during the final fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations. CAF concluded that the Senegalese federation had breached Article 82, which resulted in the forfeiture of the match under Article 84.

However, the FSF has rejected the decision, describing it as “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable.” The federation warned that the ruling damages the credibility of African football.

“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the federation will initiate, as soon as possible, an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne,” the FSF said.

CAF’s Appeal Board also reviewed several incidents linked to the match. Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct but had his punishment reduced to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended. The earlier fine of USD 100,000 imposed on him was cancelled.

The board also confirmed that Morocco was responsible for the conduct of ball boys during the match. However, the fine related to the incident was reduced to USD 50,000. Another fine of USD 100,000 over interference around the VAR review area was upheld, while the fine for the laser incident was reduced to USD 10,000.

The dispute has now shifted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where Senegal hopes to overturn the decision and reclaim the AFCON title.