The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has welcomed the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award Morocco the title of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. This decision follows the appeal filed by the FRMF regarding the final match between Morocco and Senegal. The CAF Appeals Board ruled in favor of Morocco, considering that Senegal had violated the competition regulations.
The AFCON 2025 final, played on January 18 in Rabat, was marked by an interruption of play. Senegalese players had temporarily left the field to protest a refereeing decision, namely the awarding of a penalty to Morocco after consulting VAR. Although play resumed and Senegal won the match 1-0 after extra time, the FRMF challenged the result, arguing that the interruption constituted a violation of the regulations.
In its statement, the FRMF stressed that its approach was to enforce the rules and ensure the stability of international competitions. The federation also insisted that it had never sought to challenge the sporting performance of the teams, but only to apply the regulations. The FRMF recalled that it had respected the procedures in force, by submitting its conclusions and participating in the hearings organized by CAF.
CAF finally acknowledged that the rules had not been respected during the final. Consequently, the Appeals Board declared Senegal to have forfeited the match and awarded the victory to Morocco with a score of 3-0. This decision has sparked strong reactions in Senegal, where many are crying foul. The Senegalese Federation has announced its intention to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
CAF President Patrice Motsepe defended the independence of the confederation's judicial bodies and assured that no country would receive preferential treatment. Despite the controversy, Morocco is therefore officially crowned champion of AFCON 2025, winning its second title after that of 1976. The FRMF now intends to turn to the next sporting events, including the World Cup and the Women's AFCON scheduled for this summer.
