Senegal’s government has accused the Confederation of African Football (CAF) of suspected corruption and demanded an independent international investigation after CAF’s appeals body stripped Senegal of the AFCON 2025 title and awarded the championship to Morocco on a 3–0 forfeit ruling.
The row centres on the January 18 final in Rabat, which Senegal won 1–0 after extra time. CAF’s appeals board later ruled that Senegal “forfeited” the match after players and staff walked off the pitch for about 15 minutes in stoppage time, protesting a VAR-related penalty decision. Although Morocco missed the penalty and Senegal went on to win, the appeals panel applied tournament regulations governing abandonment of play and retroactively changed the outcome to a 3–0 default win for Morocco, handing the hosts the trophy.
On Wednesday, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) condemned the ruling as “grossly illegal” and “profoundly unjust,” saying the decision had no proper legal basis and damaged the credibility of African football. The FSF said it would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, a process that can take months—and sometimes more than a year—before a final verdict.
The controversy escalated when the Senegalese government publicly joined the dispute, alleging the decision raised serious governance questions and calling for an independent international probe into “suspected corruption” within CAF. Officials said the reversal of a final result months after the match set a dangerous precedent and demanded transparency around the appeals process. Reuters reported that CAF had not issued an immediate public response to the government’s call.
Morocco’s football federation welcomed the decision, framing it as enforcement of rules rather than a challenge to Senegal’s sporting merit. In separate commentary, critics—including former players and coaches—described the decision as a hammer blow to the tournament’s reputation and warned it could deepen long-running concerns about African football governance.
The episode stems from a chaotic finish to the final that included stoppages, protests and disciplinary fallout. CAF had initially imposed sanctions linked to misconduct during the match, but the later appeal outcome changed the title holder entirely. Senegal’s appeal to CAS now sets up a prolonged legal and political battle that could run deep into the build-up to the next AFCON cycle.
