In a shocking and controversial turn of events, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially stripped Senegal national football team of their 2026 AFCON title, handing victory to Morocco national football team instead.
The decision, announced on Tuesday, March 17, follows an appeal that challenged the outcome of the AFCON final played in Rabat on January 18.
According to CAF, Senegal forfeited the match after their players walked off the pitch in protest following a controversial late penalty awarded to Morocco during stoppage time.
Although Senegal later returned to continue the match after a 14-minute delay – and went on to win 1-0 in extra time thanks to a goal from Papa Gueye -CAF has now ruled that the walk-off breached competition rules.
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Interestingly, the penalty that caused the drama was missed by Brahim Díaz after play resumed, but that did not stop the governing body from overturning the result.
CAF has now awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory by default, effectively crowning them AFCON 2026 champions—marking their second title in history, decades after their first triumph.
The match itself was marred by chaos, including fan clashes and on-field tension, which CAF says damaged the image of African football.
However, the Senegalese Football Federation has strongly rejected the ruling, describing it as unjust and baseless.
Speaking after the verdict, SFF Secretary General Abdoulaye Seydou Sow did not hold back:
“This is a travesty. The decision has no legal foundation. From the start of the hearing, it was clear something was not right.”
He also confirmed that Senegal will escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a bid to overturn CAF’s decision.
Meanwhile, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has welcomed the outcome, insisting that the decision reinforces respect for the rules and integrity of African competitions.
With this development, what was already a dramatic AFCON final has now turned into one of the most controversial decisions in African football history.
