Senegal, led by Sadio Mane, had initially secured the trophy with a 1-0 win after extra time in a match marked by controversy.

According to Goal.com, late in the match Senegal players protested being denied a penalty, and were further incensed by a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision that awarded Morocco a penalty for a similar incident. In protest, all Senegal players except captain Mane left the pitch for 20 minutes, returning only after his persuasion. Morocco’s Brahim Diaz took the penalty, but it was saved by the Senegal goalkeeper, taking the match into extra time where Pape Gueye scored the winning goal for Senegal.

Following the match, CAF condemned what it described as “unacceptable behaviour of some players and officials”. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also criticised the conduct on Instagram, stating, “It is also the responsibility of teams and players to act responsibly and set the right example for fans in the stadiums and millions watching around the world. The ugly scenes witnessed today must be condemned and never repeated. I reiterated that they have no place in football and I expect that the relevant disciplinary bodies at CAF will take the appropriate measures.”

On Tuesday, the CAF Appeals Committee reviewed an appeal lodged by the Moroccan Football Federation immediately after the final and ruled that the match result stands as a default 3-0 victory in favour of Morocco, not a 1-0 extra-time win for Senegal. The committee stated, “The Senegalese national team has lost the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAF) in Morocco by default, with the result recorded as 3-0 in favour of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.”

The decision cites violations of Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, with particular emphasis on Article 82, which states, “If a team refuses to play or leaves the pitch before the end of the match without the referee’s permission, it shall be deemed to have forfeited the match.”