Afcon Final Chaos - Key Questions Answered

ByKatharine Sharpe
BBC Sport senior journalist


18 March 2026


The currently chaotic story of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations last had another chapter included when the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the outcome.


Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January, however that scoreline has actually been formally changed to a 3-0 success to Morocco as an outcome of numerous Senegalese gamers walking off the pitch in protest throughout the match.


What do we understand - and what don't we understand - about why the decision was made, what takes place next, and what it indicates?


What took place in the Afcon last?


With the score 0-0 in the 8th minute of stoppage time in Rabat, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a charge for a challenge by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Diaz.


Moments earlier, Ndala had eliminated a Senegal goal.


After the penalty was offered, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw encouraged his group to leave the field in protest, with just Sadio Mane remaining.


The match was stopped briefly for 17 minutes, throughout which Mane encouraged his team-mates to return.


When they did, Diaz's Panenka-style penalty was quickly saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy - and the match went to additional time, when Pape Gueye scored Senegal's winning objective.


During the match, there were clashes in between Moroccan ball young boys and Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, as he repeatedly attempted to prevent them from stealing Mendy's towel from next to the goal.


Videos revealed Diouf being tackled to the ground by 3 of the ball young boys then dragged around on the flooring as he attempted to keep hold of the towel so Mendy might dry his gloves.


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Who made the choice to overturn the result - and what do the rules really state?


Caf's appeal board released a declaration on 17 March - practically 2 months after the last - revealing Senegal would surrender the match and Morocco would be stated 3-0 winners after an appeal from the Moroccan Football Federation.


The appeal board is made up of 9 individuals - a president, vice-president and seven other members.


They are all from various African nations, with Morocco and Senegal not presently represented.


The appeal board statement stated Senegal has actually contravened articles 82 and 84 of the competitors guidelines.


Article 82 states that if a team "leaves the ground before the routine end of the match without the authorisation of the referee", they are gotten rid of.


Article 83 states that a group "not present at the ground" on time for a match will likewise forfeit.


Article 84 states a team contravening articles 82 and 83 will be removed from the competitors.


It is not clear from the phrasing whether posts 82 and 83 requirement to be broken for a team to be gotten rid of, and it appears Senegal have been punished for contravening only article 82.


Will Senegal appeal - and how would that work?


The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has said it will appeal against the decision - explaining the choice as "a travesty".


Abdoulaye Seydou Sow - secretary general of the FSF - stated the organisation would lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Switzerland.


An independent panel of certified arbitrators will then review the case.


Raymond Hack - the former head of Caf's disciplinary panel - informed BBC World Service the procedure might take another 6 months to conclude, which would mean it would be throughout the World Cup.


Will there be a new trophy discussion - and what takes place to the medals?


There has not been an announcement on whether Morocco will have their own trophy ceremony.


There are likewise questions about what will occur to the winner's medals that were handed to Senegal gamers in January, and the competition prize money of $10 million.


Several members of the Senegal group have actually posted photos of their medals on social media considering that the result was overturned.


"What do you do?" Hack said on BBC World Service. "Call all the gamers back and state: 'Please give your medal back ... please give your reward cash back ... I desire to provide it to somebody else.'


"Nobody's going to do that till the Court of Arbitration makes a final ruling."


What will occur with betting payments?


Questions have likewise been inquired about what wagering companies will do - and whether people who backed Morocco will have their bets honoured.


Paddy Power, SkyBet and Betfair and a variety of other companies who have actually paid bets on Morocco, however it is not yet clear what will happen to those put with other bookies.


Which other occurrences were referenced in the ruling?


The declaration from Caf also consisted of these other choices emerging from the last:


An appeal by Morocco against Ismael Saibari being discovered guilty of misbehavior in violation of short articles 82 and 83 was promoted and his suspension lowered to 2 matches.


An appeal by Morocco versus the great imposed on the ball young boys was partly maintained and the great reduced.


An appeal by Morocco against being discovered guilty of interference around the OFR/VAR evaluation location was dismissed and the fine stays in location.


An appeal by Morocco versus an event with a laser pen was partially maintained, with the great reduced.


What has the reaction been?


The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) initially offered a brief statement when the news of the judgment broke, declaring "its method has actually never been planned to challenge the sporting efficiency of the teams taking part in this competition, however exclusively to request the application of the competitors's policies".


An updated statement on Wednesday stated that the outcome would contribute "to the consistency and credibility of global competitions, particularly African football."


The Senegalese government, meanwhile, called for an "independent international investigation" into "thought corruption" at African football's governing body.


BBC Sport has actually called Caf for comment.


The FSF had earlier knocked the "unjust, unprecedented, and undesirable decision, which casts a shadow over African football".


It said the interest Cas was necessary to "protect its rights and the interests of Senegalese football".


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Morocco


Senegal