Morocco have been declared winners of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board overturned Senegal’s extra-time victory and awarded the final to Morocco on a 3-0 forfeiture scoreline.
The decision follows a review of the chaotic closing stages of the final, where Senegal players left the pitch for more than ten minutes after a penalty was awarded to Morocco deep into stoppage time. The penalty, taken by Brahim Diaz, was missed, and Senegal went on to secure a 1-0 win in extra time, sparking celebrations that lasted for weeks.
CAF has now ruled that Senegal’s actions constituted a breach of competition regulations, leading to the forfeiture of the match. Under CAF statutes, a team that abandons a match or fails to comply with official directives can be sanctioned with a default loss, typically recorded as a 3-0 result.
The ruling brings a dramatic reversal to a final that had already been marked by tension, delays, and confusion. Senegal had believed they had secured their second Africa Cup of Nations title after Papaguay’s extra-time goal sealed what appeared to be a historic victory. That outcome has now been erased from the official record.
CAF’s Appeal Board decision effectively rewrites the conclusion of the tournament nearly two months after the final whistle. The governing body has not only nullified the original result but also formally installed Morocco as champions, a move that shifts the tournament’s legacy and statistical records.
The incident at the centre of the ruling occurred during extended stoppage time, when Morocco were awarded a penalty that triggered protests from Senegal players. The situation escalated as players left the field, causing a significant delay before play resumed. Despite the disruption, the match continued and concluded with Senegal’s victory, which is now deemed invalid.
The forfeiture decision places the focus squarely on disciplinary compliance during high-stakes matches. CAF regulations emphasise adherence to match officials’ authority and uninterrupted continuation of play, particularly in finals where global attention is at its peak.
Morocco’s elevation to champions marks a significant shift in continental football records. The North African side, who had initially lost the final, now claim the title through administrative ruling rather than on-field victory, a rare occurrence in major international tournaments.
The ruling is expected to trigger further developments, with Senegal likely to challenge the decision through higher legal channels, including the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Any such appeal would prolong a dispute that has already altered one of the most important fixtures in African football.
The fallout from the decision extends beyond the two teams, raising questions about match control, officiating under pressure, and the enforcement of regulations during critical moments. Finals are typically decided on the pitch, making this administrative reversal one of the most unusual conclusions in the competition’s history.
For players and supporters, the decision reshapes the narrative of the 2026 tournament. Senegal’s celebrations have been replaced by a formal sanction, while Morocco’s defeat has been converted into a title through regulatory enforcement.
CAF’s intervention underscores the authority of its disciplinary structures and its willingness to apply rules even after a match has concluded. The outcome sets a precedent that conduct during decisive moments can carry consequences long after the final whistle.
The decision closes one chapter of the tournament while opening another, as the legitimacy of the ruling is likely to face scrutiny in the coming weeks. The official record now lists Morocco as Africa Cup of Nations champions, with Senegal’s victory removed following the forfeiture ruling.
CAF trying to appease Morocco so that it continues to help CAF host soccer tournaments. Senegal is the real champion.
This is pathetic, pure corruption
Winners win. They don’t get declared! Senegal won!
who cares if senegal left the field? i know at least 10 matches where that happened and the team that scored more goals (like always) won! Even though i like more morocco, senegal won and deserved it fair and square. CORRUPTION
The question at law is ‘what constitutes abandonment of a match?’ Should the referee bring proceedings to a halt or blow the whistle to signal abandonment? What about the match officials what is contained in their match log reports? Crucial should the whole team be off the pitch ?
Very pertinent questions Sam. The referee decides whether a match is abandoned and he informs the 4th official and blows the long whistle. The referee didn’t declare the game abandoned. That’s why it continued with the penalty Senegal had been disputing.
And Allah made that Madrid player miss. Oops! sorry the Senegalese goalkeeper was too good- he caught it and the game went on. Viva the Teranga Lions!
Do y’all remember the names Jean-Fidèle Diramba. A country that participate in corruption is corruption. Officials represent their countries too, and if they participate in corruption, that’s the image of the country.
Morocco is corrupt, they qualified to US 94 through corruption. The head of CAF comes from a corrupt vessel, so is he. FIFA is corrupt tool.
I tried reminding youngsters about Diramba and LT has blocked my comment. Morocco is a corrupt country. Ask Samuel Etoo and even Nigeria who were all victims of these bribery at this Afcon
CAF is a disgrace, those men in suits are full water in their brain. They tried everything to make the highest bidder win 2012 African cup of nation men’s c
Soccer but God was with Zambia and corruption failed. Morocco will never win the African cup in my lifetime.
We should never see such things again of players walking out of the pitch in protest. Very embarrassing for African football. But Very good signal and message by CAF. However delivering a verdict after 57 days of the game being played is injustice especially that you already punished Senegal by giving them fines and match bans in the first discplinary sitting. Otherwise what I like from CAF is the message that indiscpline won’t be condoned, though the message has come through twists and turns and making it appear unproffessional
That message from CAF is a cover up. They were bribed.
CAF and the African referees are corrupt to the core……….
Just look at the referee decisions in games Morocco played ……….
Shocking , no honour……..
To Africans , Senegal are the champions, not those racists in Morocco
FWD2041
Spot on, the game is now under disrepute and a sham
This is a very sad reading especially that the host country contravened several moral codes of the sport but nothing has been done anyhow football administration has gone to the dogs especially the current regime.
Don’t forget how those Moroccans operate all the time is about kata mulomo. Its in their blood to bribe.
They bribed Diramba to knock Zambia out of the World Cup.
Then they came to Zambia and bribed our government to cease support for Western Sahara Polisario. And our government betrayed KK’s just support for Western Sahara’s independence. Receiving bribes from people who had quit the AU for a failed bid to join the EU. I wonder how much they have given Motsepe to betray his Senegalese brothers
The RIGHT decision by CAF, You can only condemn them if you tolerate indiscipline like Chawinga
The decision is idiotic. The real issue is that Morocco felt ‘entitled’ to win the cup since they hosted it and have ‘assisted’ CAF many times by hosting CAF events like CAF Awards ceremonies. They wanted ‘repayment’ from CAF. Fact is, on the night Morocco did not score any goal and Senegal did, so Senegal are the winners. They will appeal to the International Court of Arbitration in Sport, and will be declared the winners of AFCON.
You will see, now suddenly Morocco will agree to host WAFCON, and will feel ‘entitled’ to be awarded that trophy too, even if the tough Nigerian ‘he-women’ beat them on the night (Morocco will claim that Nigeria fielded men in the team, not women, and CAF will agree).
Boardroom victory ! Can Morocco even be happy to be called winners when they even know they got it after they lost in extra time.
Any proud Moroccan would refuse to celebrate this sham decision. Usually if the hearing was fair they would rule for a replay. But since they were oiled by Morocco’s corrupt kingdom they created scores in their crazy heads. “3-0 would be good eh guys? The king wants 3-0. That is $3 million for us on the tribunal”
You are welcome sweetie!
And we expect our Continent Africa to develop with this kind of corruption…….no wonder i stopped watching any soccer….its all rigged and the referees decided the winner….power of brown envelope
Africa we joke too much….and what about the prize money and the medals …Africa Cup is not only about the trophy….are they going to ask the players to refund the prize money and give away their medals which are engraved with their names……but also the referee didn’t blow the final whistle and declare the game abandoned after Senegal briefly walked away…..THEY DON’T CALL IT THE DARK CONTINENT FOR NOTHING
corrupt