The CAF Appeal Board has officially overturned the previous standing of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, declaring the Senegal National Team to have forfeited the final match. Under the new ruling, the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) has been awarded a 3–0 victory, effectively crowning Morocco as the champions of the tournament in a dramatic legal reversal.
The decision comes after a successful appeal by the FRMF against an earlier ruling by the CAF Disciplinary Board. The Appeal Board found that the conduct of the Senegalese team during the final fell strictly within the contravention of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations. These articles dictate the consequences for teams that withdraw, refuse to play, or leave the pitch before the regular end of a match without the referee’s authorization.
In addition to the match forfeiture, the Appeal Board addressed several other disciplinary matters involving the Moroccan federation and its players:
Ismaël Saibari: The Moroccan midfielder (Player No. 11) saw his sanctions significantly reduced. His $100,000 fine was set aside entirely, and his suspension was amended to two official matches, with one of those matches suspended.
Ball Boy Incident: The Appeal Board confirmed that the FRMF was responsible for the conduct of ball boys during the match, but reduced the initial fine to $50,000.
Laser Incident: The fine associated with the use of lasers by fans was reduced to $10,000.
VAR Interference: The Board maintained a $100,000 fine against the FRMF for interference around the On-Field Review (OFR) and VAR areas.
The ruling effectively settles the protest lodged by the FRMF, citing that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) infringed upon the fundamental statutes of the competition, leading to an immediate 3–0 awarded scoreline.