Why has Senegal been stripped of AFCON title?

Senegal has been stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title, and the new champion is Morocco. The result of the final was overturned after the initial championship game was won 1-0 in extra time.

It was Pape Gueye who scored following chaotic scenes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, where players walked off the pitch after Morocco was awarded a penalty from VAR. The game was halted for a long time before Senegal won the match. However, the result has now been overturned, and Morocco are the new champions. How? Let's have a look.

Why has Senegal been stripped of AFCON title?

According to Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, a team that refuses to play or leaves the field before the match ends without the permission of the referee will be deemed the loser or will be eliminated from the competition. The CAF stated in a statement:

"The CAF Appeal Committee has decided, in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), to declare the Senegal national team forfeit in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 ("the Match"), with the result being ratified at a score of 3-0 in favor of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF)."

Morocco's football federation appealed to CAF regarding the incident during the AFCON final, citing the disruptions caused by the Senegalese players. On March 17, 2026, CAF's appeals board ruled that Senegal had "forfeited the final" by leaving the field without permission, breaching tournament regulations.

The original 1-0 result was annulled and recorded as a 3-0 forfeit victory for Morocco, awarding them their first AFCON title in decades. Senegal's football federation condemned the ruling as "unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable," vowing to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

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