Explainer: Why CAF stripped Senegal of the AFCON 2025 title and awarded it to Morocco

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) decision to award the AFCON 2025 title to Morocco followed one of the most dramatic and controversial finals in the tournament’s history.

Here is a clear and accurate explanation of what happened during the final and why Senegal lost the title.

What happened in the AFCON 2025 final?

The final between Senegal and Morocco was finely balanced and heading for a tense finish, with the score level deep into stoppage time.

VAR decision sparks controversy

Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a late penalty after a VAR review for a challenge on Brahim Díaz.

The decision came shortly after Senegal had a goal—linked to Ismaïla Sarr—ruled out for a marginal infringement.

This sequence of decisions immediately triggered strong protests from Senegal’s players, technical bench, and supporters, who felt aggrieved.

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Senegal’s protest and walk-off

As tensions escalated:

• Senegal players confronted the referee.

• The protest intensified across the team.

• The players briefly walked off the pitch.

Play was halted, and the final came close to being abandoned.

This moment proved to be the turning point of the match.

The Panenka moment

After order was restored, Morocco was allowed to take the penalty.

Brahim Díaz stepped up but attempted a Panenka, which was easily saved by Édouard Mendy.

The missed penalty added to the drama, but by then, the match had already been overshadowed by controversy.

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How this led to CAF’s decision

Following the match, the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football lodged a formal protest.

CAF’s Appeal Board later ruled that Senegal’s actions during the final went beyond normal protest and constituted a breach of competition regulations.

The key issue: Breach of match integrity

CAF found that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, through the conduct of its team:

• Engaged in serious misconduct (Article 82)

• Disrupted the normal flow of the match

• Compromised the integrity of the game

The temporary walk-off and refusal to continue play normally were central to this conclusion.

Why Senegal forfeited the match

Once the breach was established, CAF applied Article 84 of the regulations, which provides for:

• Automatic forfeiture of the match

• A default result of 3–0 in favour of the opposing team

Because this was the final:

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• Senegal was deemed to have lost the match by rule

• Morocco was awarded the victory and declared champions

Was Morocco also punished?

Yes. CAF confirmed that Morocco committed several offences during the match, including:

• Ball boys interfering with play

• Use of lasers in the stadium

• Incidents around the VAR review area

Midfielder Ismaël Saibari was also sanctioned for misconduct.

However, these were treated as disciplinary issues, not actions that directly affected the continuation of the match.

Why Senegal lost the title — the decisive factor

The difference in punishment came down to impact:

• Morocco’s actions resulted in fines and suspensions.

• Senegal’s actions were judged to have disrupted the match itself.

The walk-off protest at a crucial moment was ultimately decisive.

Bottom line

Senegal was stripped of the AFCON 2025 title because:

• A controversial VAR decision led to protests.

• The team briefly walked off the pitch.

• CAF ruled that this disrupted the match and breached its regulations.

• The sanction was automatic forfeiture.

Morocco was awarded a 3–0 victory and the AFCON title.