THE SENAGALESE FOOTBALL Federation (FSF) has denounced the ruling by the Confederation of African Football to strip FSF of the 2025 AFCON title, awarding a 3-0 forfeit victory to tournament hosts Morocco.
The FSF has decided to move the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne against CAF’s “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable” decision, warning that the ruling undermines the credibility of African football.
Senegal had beaten Morocco 1-0 in the January 18 AFCON final, but the match was marred by controversy when Senegal’s players refused to continue after Morocco was awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the score level. During the disruption, sections of the crowd also attempted to enter the field.
Senegal eventually returned to the pitch after the walk-off, reportedly following appeals from superstar forward Sadio Mané urging his teammates to finish the match. Play resumed after a 17-minute delay. Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved before Pape Gueye scored the winner for Senegal in extra time.
The CAF Appeals Board sided with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), stating that Morocco’s right to be heard had not been respected in the initial proceedings. The appeal board ruled that Senegal had breached Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations. As a result, the match was awarded to Morocco as a 3-0 forfeit victory.
The FSF stated: “The FSF reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice, and will keep the public informed of the follow-up to this matter”.
At an earlier disciplinary hearing, CAF had imposed fines totaling more than $1 million and handed bans to several Senegalese and Moroccan players and officials, although the governing body initially allowed the result to stand unchanged. The Appeal Board’s latest decision has now overturned that outcome, formally awarding the final to Morocco.
