Revealed: Why Senegal was stripped of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, with Morocco crowned champions instead.
Major football news: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has ruled that the Senegal national team forfeited to Morocco in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final due to breaching rules by walking off during the match, awarding the championship to Morocco.
In the final on 18 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Senegal won 1-0 after extra time against Morocco to claim the title. However, during the game, Senegal's coach Pap Thiao instructed his players to leave the field in protest against a penalty awarded to Morocco during injury time.
The game then resumed, and Morocco's Brahim Diaz missed the penalty. Ultimately, Pap Gaye scored to secure the championship for Senegal.
After the match, CAF initially considered disciplinary measures, sanctioning some players and officials from both teams with suspensions and fines, but upheld the original match result.
However, CAF recently shocked the football community by reversing the decision, ruling that Senegal forfeited the final 0-3 due to the walkout, stripping them of the title and awarding the championship to Morocco.
CAF’s latest statement reads: “CAF has decided to impose sanctions according to regulations, awarding a 3-0 victory to Morocco for the final match due to Senegal’s forfeit.”