Morocco have been crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions in a stunning twist, after officials overturned the result of the final. Senegal, who had originally lifted the trophy on the night of January 18, 2026 have now been stripped of the title following a successful appeal.
The controversy started when Senegal's players walked off the pitch during the final mach in protest after a penalty was awarded against them. Although they eventually returned and completed the game, that decision has now come back to cost them, as it breached tournament rules
They returned after a farcical 14-minute protest, with Pape Gueye scoring in extra time, to take the title. However, on Tuesday they were declared the losers of the game while a 3-0 score was recorded in Morocco's favour by CAF's Appeal Board.
The decision adds to the controversy of the final, where the walk-off and fighting between players and spectators severely tarnished the image of African football, CAF admitted days later.
CAF's Disciplinary Board had rejected Morocco's initial protest, but the appeal board found in their favour, although Senegal quickly said they would be taking the matter to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking to overturn Tuesday's decision.
The Appeal Board found the conduct of the Senegal team fell "within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations", which state that "if, for any reason whatsoever, a team refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered the loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition".
Senegal stormed off the field in protest at a penalty awarded against them near the end of the 90 minutes of regulation time, following a VAR check by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala after Brahim Diaz had been tugged to the ground by Senegal fullback El Hadji Malick Diouf while defending a corner five minutes into stoppage time.
Officials and players jostled with each other while the referee consulted the touchline screen, and when he made his decision, Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw ordered his players off, for which he was later fined and suspended even after apologising.
Senegal talisman Sadio Mane won widespread praise for his efforts to persuade his teammates to return.
Morocco Win AFCON Title After 50-Year Gap
Tuesday's decision means Morocco are crowned African champions for a second time, 50 years after they won the Cup of Nations for the first time.
In a statement, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation "acknowledges the decision" and said it wished to reiterate that their approach was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams participating, but solely to request the application of the competition regulations.
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"The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, the clarity of the competitive framework, and the stability of African competitions," it said, adding it would issue a further response on Wednesday.
The violent and petulant scenes at the final were heavily criticised and seen as a major blight on an otherwise successful tournament.
CAF also announced the setting aside of a $100,000 fine on Morocco striker Ismael Saibari and a reduction of his suspension to one match for his role in tussling with Senegal players near the end of the game.
CAF also said the fine imposed on the Moroccan federation for the incident in which ball boys attempted to steal the towel of the Senegal goalkeeper next to his goal was reduced to $50,000. Those scenes went viral and added to the folly of the occasion.
But the $100,000 fine imposed on Morocco for their players and officials attempting to interfere in the VAR process stands.
(With inputs from Reuters)