Morocco have been officially crowned winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the Confederation of African Football overturned the original final result and stripped Senegal of the title.

Senegal had initially claimed a 1-0 victory in the final on January 18, courtesy of a goal from Pape Gueye, but the match was marred by controversy.

The turning point came late in regulation time when Morocco were awarded a penalty. With the score still goalless at that stage, Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest, refusing to continue the match. After a delay of about 17 minutes, they returned to resume play.

Although Brahim Diaz missed the resulting penalty, Gueye later scored in extra time to hand Senegal what appeared to be the winning goal.

However, following an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation, CAF reviewed the incident and ruled that Senegal had violated tournament regulations. According to Article 82 of AFCON rules, any team that refuses to play or leaves the field without the referee’s permission forfeits the match.

CAF subsequently declared Senegal to have forfeited the final, awarding a 3-0 victory to Morocco.

In a statement, Morocco’s football authorities said their appeal was not intended to undermine sporting competition but to ensure adherence to established rules.

The decision means Morocco are now officially two-time AFCON champions, while Senegal’s 2025 title has been revoked, reducing their tally to one.