Afcon Final Chaos - Key Questions Answered

ByKatharine Sharpe
BBC Sport senior reporter


18 March 2026


The already chaotic story of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations last 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 success to Morocco as an outcome of several Senegalese gamers strolling off the pitch in protest throughout the match.


What do we know - and what don't we understand - about why the choice was made, what happens next, and what it indicates?


What occurred in the Afcon last?


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


Moments earlier, Ndala had actually eliminated a Senegal objective.


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


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


When they did, Diaz's Panenka-style penalty was easily 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 between Moroccan ball kids and Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, as he repeatedly attempted to prevent them from stealing Mendy's towel from next to the objective.


Videos revealed Diouf being dealt with to the ground by 3 of the ball kids 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 reverse the result - and what do the guidelines in fact state?


Caf's appeal board released a statement on 17 March - nearly 2 months after the last - revealing 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 seven other members.


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


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


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


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


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


It is unclear from the wording whether articles 82 and 83 need 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 versus the verdict - describing 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 accredited arbitrators will then review the case.


Raymond Hack - the former head of Caf's disciplinary panel - told BBC World Service the process could take another six months to conclude, which would indicate it would be continuous during the World Cup.


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


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


There are also questions about what will happen to the that were handed to Senegal gamers in January, and the tournament cash prize of $10 million.


Several members of the Senegal group have posted photos of their medals on social networks given that the result was overturned.


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


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


What will happen with wagering payments?


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


Paddy Power, SkyBet and Betfair and a variety of other suppliers who have actually paid bets on Morocco, however it is not yet clear what will occur to those placed with other bookmakers.


Which other occurrences were referenced in the judgment?


The statement from Caf also consisted of these other choices emerging from the final:


An appeal by Morocco versus Ismael Saibari being found guilty of misbehavior in infraction of short articles 82 and 83 was maintained and his suspension reduced to 2 matches.


An appeal by Morocco against the great troubled the ball boys was partially promoted and the great minimized.


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


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


What has the response been?


The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) initially supplied a short declaration when the news of the ruling broke, declaring "its approach has actually never been planned to challenge the sporting performance of the teams taking part in this competition, however entirely to ask for the application of the competition's regulations".


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


The Senegalese federal government, meanwhile, required an "independent worldwide investigation" into "suspected corruption" at African football's governing body.


BBC Sport has actually called Caf for remark.


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


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


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Morocco


Senegal