Moroccan FA reacts to CAF bombshell ruling overturning AFCON final result

While the Senegalese squad originally celebrated a 1-0 victory on the pitch in January, their decision to briefly walk off in protest against a VAR-awarded penalty ultimately triggered the shock reversal. As a result of these administrative sanctions, the governing body has now handed Morocco a retrospective 3-0 forfeit win.

In an initial response to the verdict, the FRMF stated: "The Federation wishes to recall that its approach has never been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition's regulations. The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, ensuring clarity in the competitive framework, and maintaining stability within African competitions. It also wishes to commend all the nations that took part in this edition of the AFCON, which has been a major moment for African football. The Federation will make an official statement tomorrow, after convening its governing bodies."

Following that internal review, the FRMF released a subsequent statement to formally acknowledge the legal outcome. Having met on Tuesday to review the application of tournament regulations following the disruption of the match, the Moroccan federation officially welcomed the verdict: "The FRMF has received the decisions made by the CAF Appeals Board regarding the events that occurred during the match between the Moroccan national team and their Senegalese counterparts in the Africa Cup of Nations final. The CAF Appeals Board, acting in accordance with Article 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, has ruled that the Senegalese national team forfeited the match in the Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 final, awarding a 3-0 victory to the Moroccan national team."

CAF's decision to hand Morocco a 3-0 win is rooted in specific competition bylaws regarding the refusal to play. Under Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, any team that leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the referee's permission is automatically considered the loser. By walking off in protest of referee Jean-Jacques Ndala’s decision, Senegal triggered these administrative sanctions.

The chaos began when a VAR review led to a penalty for Morocco in the final moments of normal time, prompting coach Pape Thiaw to lead his players off. Although they eventually played on, and Edouard Mendy even saved Diaz's subsequent spot-kick, CAF determined that the initial breach was enough to justify a forfeit.

Unsurprisingly, the reaction from Dakar has been one of pure outrage. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) wasted no time in condemning the ruling, labelling it a stain on the reputation of the African game. In an official statement, the FSF denounced the "unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable" decision and confirmed they would seek immediate legal recourse through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.

The FSF statement read: "The Senegalese Football Federation denounces this unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable decision, which discredits African football. To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the Federation will initiate an appeal as soon as possible before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. The FSF reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice and will keep the public informed of developments in this matter."