Image Credits: X/@Equipe du Sénégal
CAF has plunged African football into fresh controversy after officially stripping Senegal of their 2025 AFCON title and awarding the trophy to Morocco following an appeal over the chaotic final in Rabat.
The CAF Appeal Jury ruled on 17 March that Senegal’s conduct in the showpiece – which was abandoned after the champions left the pitch in protest – breached articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations, and consequently recorded a 3-0 forfeit win in favour of the Moroccan federation.
The decision not only overturns the original disciplinary ruling but also rewrites the tournament’s history, with Morocco now recognised as champions and Senegal facing additional sanctions.
In response, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has gone on the offensive, publishing a furious two-page communiqué condemning CAF’s move as “iniquitous, unprecedented and unacceptable” and vowing to take the fight to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. The statement, released from Dakar on 17 March, insists Senegal’s rights were not respected during the appeal process and accuses the decision-makers of bringing African football into disrepute.
Below is the full translated statement from the FSF:
“The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has today taken note of the notification of the decision delivered on 17 March 2026 by the Appeal Jury of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), in the case DC23316. This procedure follows the complaint lodged in relation to match No. 52 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) TotalEnergies, Morocco 2025, between Senegal and Morocco.
“By this decision, the CAF Appeal Jury declared the appeal of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) admissible. In so doing, the body annulled the decision previously taken by CAF’s Disciplinary Jury, on the grounds that the right of the appellant party to be heard had not been respected during the first‑instance procedure.
“The Appeal Jury further considered that the behaviour of the Senegal team fell under articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations. Consequently, CAF declared that the FSF had infringed article 82 and pronounced the loss of the match by forfeit for Senegal, with a score recorded as 3-0 in favour of the FRMF, in application of article 84.
“The Senegalese Football Federation denounces an iniquitous, unprecedented and unacceptable decision which brings discredit upon African football.”
“In defence of its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the Federation will, in the shortest possible time, initiate an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.”
“The FSF reaffirms its unshakeable commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice, and will keep the public informed of developments in this matter.”
Liverpool legend Sadio Mane was the face of Senegal’s historic AFCON triumph back in 2022 and remained a central figure in the 2025 run, so seeing that latest title wiped from the record books is a gut punch for a player whose legacy with the national team was built on those landmark moments.
For many on Merseyside, who watched him drive Jurgen Klopp’s side to Premier League and Champions League glory, there will be a sense that one of African football’s great modern leaders has been robbed of a hard‑earned chapter in his story.
The FSF’s vow to go to CAS means this saga is far from over, and there is every chance the legal wrangling drags on long after the trophy engravers have done their work. What is already clear, though, is that CAF’s decision has deepened a sense of mistrust around governance on the continent and left Senegal’s golden generation – Mane included – fighting not just for medals on the pitch, but for their place in the history books off it.
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