Senegal to Appeal CAF Decision Awarding AFCON Title to Morocco
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has vehemently rejected the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board’s ruling that awarded the 2025 AFCON title to Morocco, announcing its intention to challenge the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
The Ruling and Controversy
CAF’s Appeal Board overturned the original final result, declaring that the Senegal national team had forfeited the final match against Morocco. This ruling followed a walk-off by Senegalese players late in the game, which was marked by chaotic scenes after a goal was disallowed and a penalty was awarded to the host nation, Morocco.
The decision stated, “The Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the final match… with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.”
The Senegalese Football Federation has rejected the decision by the Confederation of African Football Appeal Board to award the 2025 AFCON title to Morocco, vowing to challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Senegal’s Response
Upon receiving the notification of the decision rendered on March 17, 2026, the FSF noted that the CAF Appeals Board had deemed the Royal Moroccan Football Federation’s appeal admissible and accepted it, citing the grounds that Morocco’s “right to be heard had not been respected during the initial proceedings.”
Condemning the outcome, the FSF stated, “The Senegalese Football Federation denounces an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision that discredits African football.” The federation confirmed it would take the matter to the Lausanne-based CAS to challenge the ruling.
