The echoes of triumph from Senegal’s 2025 AFCON victory had barely settled when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) delivered a stunning blow: the win was annulled, Morocco declared champions.
It all began in Rabat, during a tense final. Deep into stoppage time, Morocco was awarded a controversial penalty. Senegal’s players, outraged, stormed off the pitch in protest. Captain Sadio Mané, embodying calm amidst chaos, pleaded with his teammates to return. They did and Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the spot-kick. In extra time, Pape Gueye’s strike sealed a 1-0 win, sending Senegal into jubilation.
Months later, CAF invoked Articles 82 and 84 of its regulations, ruling that Senegal’s walk-off amounted to a forfeit. The official record now reads Morocco 3–0 Senegal. Morocco’s federation insisted their appeal was about enforcing rules, not rewriting history.
But in Dakar, the response was fiery. The Senegalese Football Federation declared:
“This unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision brings African football into disrepute.”
Determined to defend their honor, Senegal vowed to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. Online, players vented their fury defender Moussa Niakhate posted a photo of himself lifting the trophy with the caption, “They’re mad.”
The controversy stretched beyond the pitch. The final had been marred by chaos: Senegalese fans attempted a pitch invasion, forcing a 20-minute stoppage. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, present at the match, condemned Senegal’s walk-off as “unacceptable.” CAF later fined both federations, while 18 Senegalese fans remain imprisoned in Morocco, awaiting appeal trials for hooliganism.
