Morocco Crowned AFCON 2025 Champions After Senegal Forfeit Ruling

In a dramatic reversal, Morocco national football team have been declared winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result of their final against Senegal national football team.

The original final, held on 18 January, saw Senegal secure a 1–0 victory after extra time. The match was overshadowed by controversy when Senegalese players refused to continue play following a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco while the score remained level. After a delay of around 17 minutes, the game resumed, with Brahim Diaz missing the penalty before Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal.

Following a review, CAF ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, awarding a 3–0 victory to Morocco and officially handing them the title. The governing body also issued extensive sanctions, fining both federations and handing out player bans in connection with the incident, as outlined in its official statement.