Senegal demands corruption probe after caf strips its can 2025 title

In a decision that has stunned the African football community, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final. The governing body stripped Sénégal of its championship, awarding the title to Morocco following an appeal by the Moroccan federation. This ruling reverses the 1-0 victory Sénégal had earned on the pitch on January 18. In response, the Senegalese federation is preparing an appeal, and the government has called for an international investigation into “suspicions of corruption within the governing bodies of CAF.”

The news was met with widespread disbelief, with media outlets across Africa and Europe describing the move as shocking. The Senegalese government has firmly rejected the decision, with spokesperson Marie Rose Khady Fatou Faye calling it an “unjustified dispossession.” The Senegalese football federation has announced it will promptly file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, condemning the ruling as “unjust, unprecedented, and unacceptable.” Abdoulaye Sow, the federation’s secretary general, vowed that the trophy would not be handed over, stating, “The cup will not leave the country.”

The regulations behind the reversal

The controversy originates from a chaotic final match. During stoppage time, with the score tied 0-0, Morocco was awarded a disputed penalty. Angered by the call, Senegalese coach Pape Thiaw instructed his players to leave the field in protest. After a 15-minute interruption marked by turmoil, the match resumed. Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the penalty, and the game proceeded to extra time, where Pape Gueye scored the winning goal for Sénégal. Nearly two months later, CAF’s appeal jury invoked Articles 82 and 84 of the CAN regulations. Article 82 states that a team abandoning the pitch without the referee’s permission forfeits the match. As a result, the final’s outcome was officially changed to a 3-0 victory for Morocco.

A precedent in african football

In a statement, the Moroccan football federation acknowledged the decision, clarifying that its appeal was not meant to contest the sporting performance but to demand the application of the competition’s rules. A source close to the federation pointed to a similar case in 2019, when Espérance Sportive de Tunis was awarded the CAF Champions League title after their opponents, Wydad Casablanca, left the field during the final to protest a VAR failure. This latest decision follows earlier disciplinary actions, where CAF had already fined both the Moroccan and Senegalese federations for unsportsmanlike conduct during the final. Meanwhile, the appeal for 18 Senegalese fans imprisoned for hooliganism has been postponed.