The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dismissed Morocco’s petition seeking to strip Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, upholding the Teranga Lions as champions of the tournament held in Morocco.
The Royale Moroccaine 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.
In a statement released on Tuesday, CAF said its Appeals Committee found no basis to overturn the result of the final thereby confirming Senegal as champions of the 2025 AFCON.
FRMF in its appeal alleged refereeing errors and procedural violations.
The complaint referenced a stoppage during the match when Senegalese player briefly left the pitch amid a disputed penalty decision.
However, CAF said a review of the match :officials’ reports, video evidence and submissions from all parties showed no breach of the competition’s regulations.
The governing body added that the protest failed to establish violations of AFCON regulations as claimed by the Moroccan federation.
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.
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 also fined $315,000. Coaches and several players from both side received bans for unsporting behavior.
With the ruling, CAF reaffirmed reaffirmed Senegal as the winner s of the tournament, bringing the dispute over the final to a close. Morocco, who were seeking to end the long wait for a continental title, will now shift focus to future international competitions.
-9News Nigeria.
