Senegal Football Federation slams decision awarding Morocco 3–0 victory after final walk-off, vows legal challenge in Switzerland.

Following the CAF verdict, the Senegalese Football Federation has rejected the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board.

Senegal has strongly opposed the awarding of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title to Morocco and confirmed it will challenge the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

On March 17, 2026, Morocco were crowned champions of the 2025 AFCON after CAF’s Appeal Board overturned the result of the final against Senegal. The board ruled that the West African side forfeited the match following a walk-off during the game in Rabat on January 19.

According to CAF, “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the final match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.”

The decision followed a protest by Morocco after chaotic scenes late in the final, when Senegal players briefly left the pitch after a disallowed goal and a penalty awarded to the hosts.

The Appeal Board held that the incident fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations, which cover misconduct and match forfeiture.

In a statement, the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football said it had taken note of the decision delivered by CAF’s Appeal Committee in case DC23316, arising from a complaint filed during Match 52 of the AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco.

“The Senegalese Football Federation has today taken note of the notification of the decision rendered on March 17, 2026, by the Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football, in the context of case DC23316,” the statement read.

Reacting to the verdict, the federation criticised the ruling, describing it as damaging to the credibility of African football.

It further confirmed that it will file an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.