The Moroccan Football Federation said it welcomed the CAF Appeals Committee’s decision to award the 2025 AFCON title to the Moroccan Football Federation.
Published March 19, 2026
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has praised the decision to award the country the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, which was stripped from Senegal.
“The FRMF welcomes the decision that reaffirms the priority of the competition rules and strengthens the conditions necessary for the proper conduct of international tournaments,” the FRMF said in a statement on Thursday.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Tuesday that an appeals committee had awarded finalist Morocco, who lost on January 18, a spot in the competition.
The final, which Senegal won 1-0 after extra time, was postponed for 14 minutes after Senegal players and staff returned to the dressing room in protest of an injury-time penalty awarded to Morocco in the second half.
When play finally restarted, Moroccan striker Brahim Dias missed the kick and Senegal secured the victory with a fine strike from Pape Gueye.
“Following the incident that led to the suspension of the match, the FRMF has maintained a clear and consistent position from the outset to strictly apply the administrative regulations. The federation’s approach has been based solely on this principle,” the FRMF statement said.
“Following an appeal, CAF confirmed that the applicable regulations were not properly enforced.”
Morocco appealed to CAF to overturn the result immediately after the final, but chaos ensued during and after the protests, leading to a pitch invasion that resulted in 18 Senegalese fans being sentenced to prison.
The first appeal was rejected, and the appeals committee’s decision came just two months after the finals ended.
“Throughout the process, FRMF acted in full compliance with all relevant legal and procedural frameworks, with a constant focus on upholding rights and maintaining competitive integrity,” it said in a statement.
“This decision clarifies the applicable framework and strengthens the consistency and credibility of international competitions, particularly in African football.”
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) immediately reacted to the CAF’s ruling, announcing that it would independently appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Such a process can take up to a year to reach a final decision.
Following the decision, Senegal’s government on Wednesday continued its corruption allegations and called for an independent international investigation into the matter.
