CAF Rejects Morocco’s Bid to Strip Senegal of AFCON 2025 Title

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rejected Morocco’s petition seeking to strip Senegal of its AFCON 2025 title, upholding the Teranga Lions as champions of the tournament held in Morocco.

The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) had filed a protest with CAF after tumultuous scenes in the Africa Cup of Nations final on January 18, 2026, arguing that Senegal’s brief walk-off from the pitch violated Articles 82 and 84 of AFCON regulations and should result in the title being awarded to Morocco.

CAF’s Disciplinary Board dismissed the protest, ruling that Senegal’s actions did not justify changing the match result, meaning Senegal officially remains the 2025 AFCON champions. The governing body said the protest lacked merit after reviewing the submissions.

Despite rejecting the appeal, CAF imposed heavy sanctions and fines on both finalists for inappropriate conduct during the match, including financial penalties and match suspensions for coaches and players. Senegal was fined a total of $615,000, while Morocco was fined $315,000. Coaches and several players from both sides received bans for unsporting behaviour.

The decision brings closure to the administrative dispute surrounding the controversial final while reinforcing CAF’s stance that on-field results will be upheld unless clear regulatory breaches are proven.