The Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) has issued its first response following the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip Senegal of the 2025 AFCON title and reassign it to Morocco.
Senegal had originally defeated Morocco 1–0 in January to claim the trophy, but the result was marred by controversy, especially with Morocco hosting the tournament.
CAF later ruled in favour of an appeal filed by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), which challenged the initial disciplinary verdict from the January 18 final.
Following the review, CAF determined that Senegal had violated competition rules due to the conduct of their players during the match. As a consequence, Senegal were ruled to have forfeited the final, with the game officially recorded as a 3–0 win for Morocco, handing them the continental title.
Senegal to appeal to CAS
In a strongly worded statement, the FSF condemned the ruling as “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” warning that it damages the integrity of African football.
“To defend the rights and interests of Senegalese football, the federation announces it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, with an emergency procedure to be initiated as soon as possible,” part of the statement read.
“The Federation reaffirms its commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice and will keep the public informed of the follow-up to this matter.”
Additional disciplinary rulings
The appeal process also addressed other incidents from the match. Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari was found guilty of unsporting behaviour under Articles 82 and 83(1) of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
However, his sanction was reduced to a two-match suspension—one of which is suspended—while the earlier $100,000 fine was overturned.
CAF also held Morocco’s federation accountable for the actions of ball boys during the game, although the related fine was reduced to $50,000.
Meanwhile, a $100,000 fine concerning interference near the VAR (OFR) review area was upheld, while the penalty for a laser-related incident was cut to $10,000.
A historic and controversial outcome
It is rare for an AFCON final to be decided through administrative action after the match has concluded. The Appeal Board’s ruling has significantly altered the tournament’s outcome and is likely to trigger widespread debate across the football community