Morocco has been unexpectedly declared the winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, despite losing to Senegal on the pitch nearly two months ago. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Board overturned the result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory following a protest lodged by the North African nation.
Senegal had originally won the fiercely contested match 1-0 after extra time on January 17, 2026, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal after a controversial late penalty awarded to Morocco was missed.
The CAF Appeals Board’s decision reverses an earlier ruling by CAF, which had imposed fines on both teams but left the sporting result intact. The board ruled, based on Article 82 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations, that Senegal forfeited the match by leaving the field of play in protest. CAF had previously argued that Senegal’s return to the pitch meant they hadn’t officially abandoned the contest.
Senegal’s head coach, Pape Thiaw, had already received a five-match ban and a $100,000 fine from the confederation for instructing his players to walk off the pitch following the disputed penalty call in stoppage time.
