Afcon Final Chaos - Key Questions Answered

ByKatharine Sharpe
BBC Sport senior journalist


18 March 2026


The already chaotic story of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final had another chapter added when the Confederation of African Football (Caf) reversed the result.


Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January, however that scoreline has actually been formally altered to a 3-0 victory to Morocco as an outcome of a number of Senegalese gamers off the pitch in demonstration throughout the match.


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


What took place in the Afcon last?


With ball game 0-0 in the eighth minute of stoppage time in Rabat, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a charge for a difficulty by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Diaz.


Moments earlier, Ndala had ruled out a Senegal goal.


After the charge was given, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw encouraged his team to leave the field in demonstration, with only Sadio Mane remaining.


The match was stopped briefly for 17 minutes, throughout which Mane motivated 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 extra time, when Pape Gueye scored Senegal's winning goal.


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


Videos showed Diouf being tackled to the ground by three of the ball young boys then dragged around on the floor as he tried to keep hold of the towel so Mendy might dry his gloves.


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Who decided to overturn the outcome - and what do the guidelines in fact state?


Caf's appeal board launched a statement on 17 March - nearly 2 months after the last - announcing Senegal would forfeit the match and Morocco would be stated 3-0 winners after an appeal from the Moroccan Football Federation.


The appeal board is comprised of 9 people - a president, vice-president and 7 other members.


They are all from different African nations, with Morocco and Senegal not currently represented.


The appeal board declaration stated Senegal has contravened short articles 82 and 84 of the competitors regulations.


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


Article 83 states that a team "not present at the ground" on time for a match will also surrender.


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


It is unclear from the phrasing whether short articles 82 and 83 requirement to be broken for a group to be removed, and it appears Senegal have been penalised 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 verdict - describing the decision 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 - told BBC World Service the process might take another six months to conclude, which would suggest it would be ongoing throughout the World Cup.


Will there be a brand-new prize presentation - and what takes place to the medals?


There has actually not been a statement on whether Morocco will have their own prize event.


There are also questions about what will take place to the winner's medals that were handed to Senegal players in January, and the competition reward money of $10 million.


Several members of the Senegal team have published photos of their medals on social media since the result was reversed.


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


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


What will occur with betting payouts?


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


Paddy Power, SkyBet and Betfair and a number of other providers who have paid out bets on Morocco, but it is not yet clear what will occur to those positioned with other bookmakers.


Which other occurrences were referenced in the ruling?


The declaration from Caf also consisted of these other decisions developing from the last:


An appeal by Morocco against Ismael Saibari being discovered guilty of misbehavior in violation of posts 82 and 83 was maintained and his suspension minimized to two matches.


An appeal by Morocco against the great imposed on the ball kids was partly upheld and the great minimized.


An appeal by Morocco versus being found guilty of interference around the OFR/VAR review location was dismissed and the fine stays in location.


An appeal by Morocco against an incident with a laser pen was partially supported, with the great minimized.


What has the reaction been?


The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) initially supplied a short declaration 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 competitors, but entirely 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 worldwide competitors, particularly African football."


The Senegalese federal government, on the other hand, called for an "independent global investigation" into "believed corruption" at African football's governing body.


BBC Sport has actually gotten in touch with Caf for remark.


The FSF had earlier denounced the "unjust, unprecedented, and inappropriate choice, which casts a shadow over African football".


It stated the attract Cas was vital to "protect its rights and the interests of Senegalese football".


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Morocco


Senegal