Morocco has been officially awarded the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title after CAF overturned the original final result in what can only be described as a highly controversial and unprecedented decision.
The AFCON final which took place in Rabat on January 2026, originally ended with Senegal beating Morocco 1–0 after extra time.
Late in normal time, Morocco were given a controversial penalty via VAR in which Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest, for around 14–17 minutes before eventually returning.
Morocco missed the penalty, and Senegal eventually went on to win the match.
CAF’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal’s walk-off violated competition rules which specify against leaving the field without permission.
As a result, the match was deemed a forfeit.
The official result was changed to a 3–0 win for Morocco, who were then declared champions. Morocco are now recognised as AFCON winners, their first title since 1976.
Senegal have been stripped of the trophy, despite winning on the pitch, a decision which has sparked major backlash and debate across football.
Senegal’s football federation has called the ruling unjust and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Sanctions, fines, and suspensions have also been issued to players and staff involved in the incident.
This is extremely rare in football, a major final being overturned after it was played and celebrated. It raises big questions about how strictly rules should be enforced vs. match context, VAR’s influence on high-stakes games and whether governing bodies should change results after the fact.
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