Morocco named official winner of AFCON 2025 by CAF appeal jury
In a stunning turn of events for West Africa Sahel news, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has officially stripped Sénégal of their title and declared Maroc the winner of AFCON 2025. This decision follows a formal protest regarding the chaotic final held in Rabat.
CAF appeal jury overturns final result
While Sénégal initially celebrated a victory on the pitch on January 18, the match was marred by controversy. During the high-stakes encounter, the Sénégal squad briefly exited the field in protest. Maroc subsequently filed a legal challenge, which the CAF Appeal Jury has now upheld as valid.
According to an official statement from CAF, the jury applied Article 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations. Consequently, Sénégal has been handed a 3-0 forfeit defeat, effectively handing the trophy to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
Strict application of tournament regulations
The ruling centered on Article 82 of the competition’s rulebook. This specific regulation states that if a team leaves the pitch before the end of regulation time without the referee’s explicit consent, they are deemed the losers and are eliminated from the tournament. Furthermore, Article 84 mandates that any team violating these terms must be excluded and lose the match by a three-goal margin.
The Moroccan federation responded to the news with restraint. They clarified that their objective was not to undermine the athletic efforts of their opponents but rather to ensure the strict enforcement of CAF regulations. This development has sent shockwaves through the political Sahel sports landscape, highlighting the rigid nature of international football governance.
