A Nigerian, Roli Daibo Harriman, heads the nine-member Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board that overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final and stripped Senegal of the title.
Morocco were on Tuesday declared winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the final result against Senegal.
CAF said the decision followed a review of events during and after the match played in Rabat.
Senegal had defeated Morocco 1-0 in the final on January 18, but the match was disrupted after Senegal players protested a penalty decision before play later resumed.
CAF ruled that Senegal forfeited the match and awarded a 3-0 result in favour of Morocco, based on provisions of the competition regulations.
ALSO READ: After Senegal ruling, Guinea urges CAF to review Morocco’s 1976 AFCON win
January 18, 2026: Final in Rabat
Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the AFCON final.
During the match, Senegal players staged a walkout lasting about 15–17 minutes to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco. Play later resumed, and the penalty was missed.
Brahim Diaz saw his effort saved before Pape Gueye scored the winning goal.
Post-match: Morocco protests
Morocco lodged a formal complaint with CAF over the conduct of Senegal players, focusing on the walkout.
CAF opened a review process and referred the matter to its disciplinary bodies.
Early March 2026: Initial decision
A CAF disciplinary panel reviewed the incident and imposed sanctions without altering the match result.
The ruling was challenged, leading to a review by the Appeal Board.
March 17, 2026: Appeal Board ruling
CAF’s Appeal Board overturned the earlier decision and ruled that Senegal breached Articles 82 and 84.
CAF said Senegal are “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.
It added that “through the conduct of its team” Senegal infringed on Article 82, making Article 84 applicable.
Article 82 states that a team that refuses to play or leaves the field without the referee’s authorisation is considered to have lost the match.
Article 84 states that such a breach results in a 3-0 loss.
CAF applied both provisions in awarding the match to Morocco.
Senegal’s 1-0 victory was cancelled and replaced with a 3-0 forfeiture.
CAF stated that “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.”
Morocco were declared champions.
The decision was taken by a nine-member panel chaired by Roli Daibo Harriman.
Roli Daibo Harriman – President (Nigeria)
Faustino Varela Monteiro – Vice President (Cabo Verde)
Moez Ben Tahar Nasri – Member (Tunisia)
Espoir Asogbavi Komlan – Member (Togo)
Masauko Timothy Msungama – Member (Malawi)
Moses Ikanqa – Member (Namibia)
Hamoud T’feil Bowbe – Member (Mauritania)
Mohamed Robleh Djama – Member (Djibouti)
Lubamba Ngimbi Hector – Member (DR Congo)
The panel reviewed match reports, submissions and applicable regulations before reaching its decision.
The Senegalese Football Federation rejected the ruling and announced plans to approach the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“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.
“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the Federation will initiate, as soon as possible, an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
The federation said the Appeal Board admitted Morocco’s protest and overturned the earlier decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board.
“With this decision, the CAF Appeals Board declared the appeal of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation admissible and accepted it.
“In doing so, the board overturned the decision rendered by the CAF Disciplinary Board, on the grounds that the appellant’s right to be heard had not been respected during the initial proceedings,” the FSF said.
“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision that discredits African football,” the statement added.
The federation said it would continue to provide updates as the case progresses.
The ruling has placed attention on the CAF Appeal Board as the confederation’s highest internal body for dispute resolution.
Its decision on the AFCON final now moves to CAS, where the outcome will determine the final position on the 2025 title.
He won ten shot put medals at the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) during his…
Morgan Rogers is open to playing outside England as a host of clubs are in…
The FA assured all football-loving residents and the general public that maximum security measures...
Eneramo began his professional journey with Lobi Stars before moving to Espérance Sportive de Tunis…
"What I have to manage is the situation at Paris Saint-Germain. Everything else is very…
With Manchester City and Arsenal locked in a stalemate at the summit, every point is…
This website uses cookies.