CAF strips Senegal of AFCON 2025 hosting rights, hands tournament to Morocco instead

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board has ruled in favor of Morocco's protest, declaring Senegal forfeited the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final with a score of 3-0 awarded to Morocco.

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This decision reverses an earlier ruling by the CAF Disciplinary Board, following an appeal by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) regarding incidents during the final match.

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According to CAF, Senegal's actions during the match fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, resulting in the forfeiture of the game.

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The Appeal Board found that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) breached Article 82 through the actions of its team, validating Morocco's protest and formally declaring them the winners.

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In a separate decision, Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari was found guilty of misconduct, receiving a two-match suspension, with one match suspended, and having a previously imposed $100,000 fine cancelled.

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CAF also addressed off-field incidents involving Morocco, holding the federation responsible for the conduct of ball boys and reducing the associated fine to $50,000.

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A $100,000 fine for interference around the VAR review area was upheld, while a sanction related to a laser incident was reduced to $10,000.

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All other motions in the case were dismissed, bringing a conclusive end to proceedings surrounding one of the most contentious finals in AFCON history.

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The ruling concludes a prolonged dispute that had cast uncertainty over the outcome of the tournament, reinforcing CAF's enforcement of competition regulations in high-stakes matches.