Morocco Wins AFCON 2025 Title After Senegal’s Disqualification Over Pitch Walkout

Morocco has been officially crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a dramatic decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip Senegal of the title over a controversial pitch walkout during the final.

The ruling, delivered by CAF’s Appeal Board on March 17, 2026, overturned Senegal’s 1–0 extra-time victory and awarded Morocco a 3–0 win by forfeit.

The AFCON final, played in Rabat on January 18, was marred by chaos after Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest of a late penalty decision awarded to Morocco. The protest caused a delay of over 14 minutes before the team eventually returned to complete the match.

Despite resuming play and securing victory through an extra-time goal, CAF ruled that Senegal’s temporary refusal to continue the match constituted a breach of tournament regulations. Under Articles 82 and 84, any team that leaves the field without the referee’s approval is deemed to have forfeited the game.

Following Morocco’s appeal, CAF upheld the protest, officially recording the match as a 3–0 win in favour of the North African side, thereby handing them their second AFCON title, 50 years after their first triumph in 1976.

The decision has sparked widespread controversy across the football world, with Senegal’s football federation strongly rejecting the ruling and announcing plans to challenge it at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Players, officials, and fans in Senegal have expressed outrage, describing the verdict as unfair and damaging to African football. Meanwhile, Moroccan authorities have defended the decision, insisting that adherence to the rules must take precedence over on-field outcomes.

The unprecedented ruling has now cast a shadow over one of the most dramatic AFCON finals in recent history, raising questions about officiating, discipline, and governance in African football.