The African Football Confederation (CAF) announced today that the Moroccan national team has been declared the winner of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 after a controversial final against Senegal. The decision follows the submission of a formal appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, which was deemed valid by the CAF Appeals Jury.

According to the official statement, Senegal was declared forfeit and penalized with a 3-0 loss. The jury ruled that Senegal’s actions during the final match violated the tournament’s regulations, specifically Articles 82 and 84 of the CAF Cup of Nations regulations.

Article 82 states that “if, for any reason, a team leaves the field before the end of regulation play without the referee’s permission, it will be considered the losing team and disqualified from the competition.”

Article 84 further clarifies that “teams violating the provisions of Articles 82 and 83 will be permanently excluded from the tournament and lose the match 3-0.”

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation responded to the ruling with a statement expressing its satisfaction with the decision, emphasizing that the appeal was made solely to ensure the proper application of the competition’s regulations rather than to challenge Senegal’s sporting performance.