Afcon Final Chaos - Key Questions Answered

ByKatharine Sharpe
BBC Sport senior reporter


18 March 2026


The currently disorderly 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 last on 18 January, however that scoreline has been formally altered to a 3-0 success to Morocco as an outcome of several Senegalese players strolling 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 implies?


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 granted Morocco a penalty for an obstacle by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Diaz.


Moments previously, Ndala had eliminated a Senegal goal.


After the penalty was provided, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw encouraged his group to leave the field in demonstration, 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 charge 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 kids and Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, as he consistently attempted to prevent them from stealing Mendy's towel from beside the objective.


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


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


Caf's appeal board released a statement on 17 March - almost two months after the final - 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 various African nations, with Morocco and Senegal not currently represented.


The appeal board declaration stated Senegal has contravened articles 82 and 84 of the competition policies.


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 eliminated.


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


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


It is not clear from the phrasing whether articles 82 and 83 requirement to be broken for a group to be removed, and it appears Senegal have actually been punished for contravening only short article 82.


Will Senegal appeal - and how would that work?


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


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


An independent panel of recognized arbitrators will then examine the case.


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


Will there be a new prize discussion - and what happens to the medals?


There has not been an announcement on whether Morocco will have their own prize 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 cash prize of $10 million.


Several members of the Senegal team have published 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 give your medal back ... please offer your cash prize back ... I wish to give it to somebody else.'


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


What will occur with betting payments?


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


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


Which other events were referenced in the judgment?


The statement from Caf also included these other choices developing from the last:


An appeal by Morocco versus Ismael Saibari being condemned of misconduct in infraction of short articles 82 and 83 was supported and his suspension reduced to 2 matches.


An appeal by Morocco against the great troubled the ball kids was partially upheld and the great reduced.


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


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


What has the response been?


The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) initially offered a short statement when the news of the ruling broke, claiming "its approach has actually never ever been planned to challenge the sporting performance of the teams getting involved in this competition, however entirely to request the application of the competition's policies".


An upgraded declaration on Wednesday stated that the result would contribute "to the consistency and reliability of international competitions, especially African football."


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


BBC Sport has gotten in touch with Caf for remark.


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


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


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Morocco


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