In a move that has sent shockwaves through African football, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially updated its records to recognize Morocco as the winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
This administrative change follows a dramatic ruling that overturned the result of the final match played in January.
The official CAF website now lists Morocco as the champions, with Senegal moved to second place and Nigeria holding the third-place spot.
This update, originally reported by Punch and verified by CAF sources, stems from a March 18 ruling by the CAF Appeals Board regarding the chaotic final held in Rabat.
While Senegal originally celebrated a 1-0 victory on the pitch, the match was marred by a 15-minute walk-off led by Senegal’s manager, Pape Thiaw, in protest of a late VAR penalty awarded to Morocco.
Although the players eventually returned and the penalty was missed, CAF ruled that the initial walk-off constituted a forfeiture.
The CAF statement explained the decision:
“The Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match... with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.”
CAF maintained that this harsh penalty was necessary to protect the integrity of the tournament's rules.
However, the decision has sparked a heated debate among football analysts over whether "boardroom results" should override what happens on the field.
The Senegalese Football Federation has already indicated it will take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland to fight the ruling.
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