Morocco were dramatically awarded the Africa Cup of Nations title on Tuesday after an appeal ruling overturned Senegal’s victory in one of the most chaotic finals in the tournament’s history.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that its appeal board found Senegal to have forfeited the match, meaning their 1–0 extra-time win has been replaced with a 3–0 default victory for host nation Morocco.
The controversial final, played on January 18 in Rabat, descended into disorder in stoppage time. Senegal players, led by head coach Pape Thiaw, walked off the pitch in protest for more than 15 minutes after Morocco were awarded a late penalty following a VAR review. The situation escalated further as fans attempted to invade the field, forcing a lengthy delay before play could resume.
When the match eventually continued, Morocco forward Brahim Díaz saw his attempted Panenka penalty saved by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. Senegal then went on to score the only goal in extra time to claim what initially appeared to be the title.
Tensions had already been high moments earlier when Senegal had a goal disallowed for a foul attributed to Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi—though replays suggested minimal contact. The decision further fueled protests from the Senegalese bench and players. 
In the aftermath, CAF’s disciplinary committee initially issued heavy fines and suspensions to both teams for misconduct but allowed the result to stand. However, Morocco pursued an appeal, citing tournament regulations.
The appeal board ultimately applied Article 82 of the competition rules, which states that any team that refuses to play or leaves the field without the referee’s authorization shall be considered to have forfeited the match and be eliminated from the competition.
As a result, the final outcome has been officially reversed, awarding Morocco the title by default. The case could still be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne for further review.
