The appeal board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has declared Morocco the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations champions following a controversial ruling that Senegal “has forfeited the Final.” As a result, Senegal’s initial 1-0 victory is now adjusted to a 3-0 win for Morocco, nearly two months after the match concluded in chaos.
During the Jan. 18 final, Senegal staged a protest on the field, halting the game for 15 minutes during second-half stoppage time. This protest erupted after a penalty kick was awarded to Morocco while the score was still tied at 0-0, and shortly after a potential winning goal for Senegal was disallowed at the opposite end.
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The situation escalated, leading to a confrontation between the teams’ benches. Eventually, Senegal manager Pape Thiaw decided to withdraw his team from the field and take them to the locker room.
While the players were off the field, a brawl broke out among Senegal’s supporters, resulting in clashes with stadium security, with chairs being thrown behind the goal.
Once order was restored, Senegal returned to the field to resume gameplay, which the referee permitted. Morocco’s forward Brahim Díaz missed the penalty kick awarded to him nearly 20 minutes earlier, extending the final into extra time.
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In the 94th minute, Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal, securing Senegal’s second AFCON title in three tournaments.
A week following the match, CAF penalized the Senegal Football Federation $615,000, while Thiaw received a five-match ban from the 2027 AFCON qualifying rounds and faced a $100,000 fine. Senegal players Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr were each suspended for two matches.
The Moroccan Football Federation was fined $315,000, with $200,000 attributable to the actions of the stadium’s ball boys, who attempted to distract Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy during the rainy night. Additionally, Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi received a two-match suspension, and Ismael Saibari was banned for three games.
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In a Tuesday announcement, CAF indicated that Saibari’s suspension has been reduced to two matches and the penalty concerning the ball boys’ conduct has been adjusted to $50,000.