The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has ruled that Senegal forfeited the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, awarding a 3–0 victory to Morocco.
In a decision issued on March 17, the CAF Appeal Board found that the conduct of the Senegal national team fell within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the competition’s regulations. As a result, the board upheld an appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), overturning an earlier ruling by CAF’s Disciplinary Board.
“The appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football is declared admissible… and is upheld,” the decision read. “In application of Article 84… the Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the FRMF.”
CAF said the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), through the conduct of its team, infringed Article 82 of the regulations. All other motions submitted in the case were dismissed.
Sanctions and related rulings
The Appeal Board also issued a series of rulings on related incidents involving Morocco:
- Morocco midfielder Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct but had his sanction reduced to a two-match suspension, with one match suspended. A previously imposed $100,000 fine was отменed.
- The FRMF was held responsible for the conduct of ball boys, with the fine reduced to $50,000.
- A $100,000 fine related to interference around the VAR review area was upheld.
- A separate fine linked to a laser incident was reduced to $10,000.
Senegal federation condemns decision
In a strongly worded statement, the Senegalese federation criticized the ruling as unjust.
“The Appeal Board considered that the conduct of the Senegal team fell under Articles 82 and 84… Consequently, CAF declared that the FSF had infringed Article 82 and imposed a forfeit,” the statement said.
The FSF added that it “denounces an unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision that discredits African football.”
The federation confirmed it will challenge the ruling before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
“For the defense of its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the federation will initiate, in the shortest possible time, an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” it said.
The FSF also reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice” and said it would keep the public informed of further developments.
The decision marks a dramatic conclusion to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final dispute, with Morocco officially recorded as 3–0 winners following the forfeiture.
