The champion changed because the final was forfeited. Morocco, not Senegal, was declared the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champion.
The Athletic reported on the 18th (Korea time), "Morocco was confirmed as the AFCON champion 57 days after the end of the final. Senegal's previous title was voided."
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on the same day on its official website, "The CAF appeals committee applied AFCON regulation 84 and decided to forfeit Senegal's result in the tournament final. Accordingly, the match is recorded as a 3-0 victory for Morocco," it said.
The appeal by host nation Morocco was accepted. CAF explained, "The appeal filed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) is formally admissible and is upheld. The actions of the Senegal national team were deemed to fall under AFCON regulations 82 and 84. All other requests and remedies will be dismissed."
Senegal won the final held last January after extra time, 1-0, to claim the title. But controversy arose after the Senegal team left the field in protest of the referee's decision near the end of the match.
In stoppage time of the second half, Morocco was awarded a penalty. Senegal reacted strongly, and coach Pape Thiaw instructed his players to leave the field. They were even more agitated because a goal earlier that could have been Senegal's winning goal had been disallowed.
Captain Sadio Mané was left alone on the pitch. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was watching the final in person, criticized the action as "unacceptable."
As a result, the match was halted for about 16 minutes. After twists and turns the match resumed, but Morocco's Brahim Díaz missed the penalty and the game went to extra time. In extra time, Senegal's Pape Gueye scored the opening goal to secure a 1-0 victory.
The final was chaos, with clashes between fans of both countries occurring during the match stoppage. Morocco filed an official protest within 24 hours after the match ended, arguing that Senegal's actions "seriously affected the flow of the match and player performance" and that the match should be forfeited.
CAF also judged that Senegal's behavior fell under AFCON regulation 82 (forfeit if a team leaves the field before the referee allows the match to end) and regulation 84 (forfeiture recorded as a 0-3 loss). CAF, like Morocco, described Senegal's actions as "inappropriate and unacceptable," and FIFA emphasized that "referee decisions must be respected."
Accordingly, an unprecedented situation occurred in which the runner-up Morocco ascended to the throne 57 days after the final ended. The FRMF said, "This measure is not about performance but about requiring compliance with regulations," calling it "a decision for the fairness and stability of the tournament."
Of course, Senegal reacted in disbelief. Although it has not yet issued an official statement, it posted footage of the victory parade on social media as a silent protest. Players responded more directly. Moussa Niakhaté wrote, "Keep the medal. This is insane," and El Hadji Malick Diouf protested, "We are the champions, say it."
[Photos] Sky Sports, BBC, TNT Sports social media.
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