Morocco Crowned Champion of the African Cup of Nations in a Controversial Decision
In a surprising decision, Morocco was declared the winner of the African Cup of Nations by an appeals panel. This decision overturned Senegal’s victory in the chaotic final in January.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that its appeals board determined that Senegal had “lost the Final”, awarding Morocco a 3-0 default victory.
The final, played on January 18 in Rabat, was marked by controversy. The Senegalese players, led by their coach Pape Thiaw, left the field for 15 minutes in stoppage time, protesting a penalty awarded to Morocco.
The penalty, taken by Brahim Díaz, was stopped by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. Senegal scored the only goal of the match in extra time. The tension in the stadium had increased due to the cancellation of a Senegal goal minutes before the penalty.
In the second minute of added time, Senegal’s goal was disallowed due to a foul by Abdoulaye Seck. Television replays suggested minimal contact on Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi.
In an initial disciplinary hearing, CAF imposed fines and sanctions on players and officials from Senegal and Morocco, but maintained the original result.Senegal players react to the penalty awarded to Morocco in the African Cup of Nations final on January 18.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) stated that its goal was to request the application of competition regulations, reaffirming its commitment to respecting the rules and stability in African competitions.
CAF justified its decision in article 82 of the tournament regulations, which states that a team that withdraws or refuses to play a match will be considered a loser and eliminated from the competition.
This victory gives Morocco its first African title since 1976 and denies Senegal its second title in three editions.
Any appeal by Senegal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) could take a year to resolve, which could extend beyond the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Senegal will face France, Norway, and a qualifier winner, which could be Iraq. The matches against France and Norway will be played at MetLife Stadium, near New York.
Morocco will play against Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti, with an opening match also at MetLife against Brazil.
Under the direction of Walid Regragui at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Morocco became the first African team to reach the semi-finals.
Regragui left the position two weeks ago after criticism for not winning the African Cup of Nations, stating that “the team needs a new opportunity before the World Cup”.
Morocco will now head to the United States as African champion.
