Months after the full-time whistle rang out in Morocco, the Confederation of African Football has only now changed the outcome. They overturned the on-field result of the 2025 AFCON, where Senegal originally defeated Morocco 1-0 after extra time in Rabat. But CAF’s appeal board awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory, declaring Senegal to have forfeited the match when they left the field of play without referee authorisations and therefore violated the competition's regulations.
The Senegalese players went down the tunnel in protest at a stoppage-time penalty awarded after the VAR review, which was given to Morocco. The Head Coach of Senegal ordered his players off the pitch in protest and delayed play for 17 minutes until they returned amid crowd disturbances. Edouard Mendy saved the penalty, and Pape Gueye scored the winning goal in extra time, securing Senegal's, at the time, second AFCON title.
This has led to Morocco being officially named AFCON champions despite losing the match on the pitch. The governing body argued that Article 82 applies, which defines walking off the pitch as a forfeit regardless of later return. Article 84 mandates a 3-0 defeat for any team found in breach of Article 82. This meant all events following Sengal’s walk-off were null and void, including the saved penalty and extra time goal.
The most shocking aspect is that this incident occurred over two months ago. The Senegalese Football Federation described the ruling as “unfair, unprecedented and legally baseless”. They also confirmed they will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as they refuse to hand back the trophy. They also stated that the ruling damages the credibility of African football and described themselves as the “rightful champions based on sporting merit”. But does walking off the pitch because something didn't go your way merit?
or childish”?
Morocco stated its appeals were based solely on regulatory enforcement, not to dispute Senegal's on-filed performance, but to emphasise respect for rules, governance clarity, and competition stability. Morocco’s long wait for a continental title ended through administrative means rather than gameplay.
The manager of Senegal, who orchestrated the walk-off, received a five-match suspension, while Senegal players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr were handed two-match suspensions. The Senegalese FA was fined for its role in the incident. Two Moroccan players were sanctioned for interfering with Edouard Mendy during the penalty incident. CAF later reduced Achraf Hakimi’s original suspension.
The Senegalese players are not accepting defeat and are, in fact, posting celebratory images from the final, along with messages rejecting the legitimacy of the ruling. With many stating they will not return their winners' medals. Moroccan fans are happy about winning the title off the pitch, and the impact of what happened cannot be denied.
This decision has been described as the “longest VAR-related controversy” in football history, and warnings have been issued that it could permanently damage AFCON’s reputation. It continues to highlight unresolved tension between the two nations, as it has been described that neither team truly benefits from the outcome.
FIFA and IFAB (which creates all footballing rules) are concerned about teams walking off the pitch in protest, and lawmakers are considering new sanctions to deter similar incidents in the future. Though there have been claims of bias, corruption and governance failures have intensified scrutiny of CAF. Senegal’s government has called for an independent international investigation.
This is not the end of the story, as Senegal has appealed to CAS, which could overturn CAF’s decision; the final legal ruling may take months, prolonging uncertainty. The controversy is expected to influence future refereeing, VAR usage, and tournament regulations. African football faces a critical moment in restoring trust, credibility, and sporting integrity.
Add comment
Comments