Senegal players celebrated their 2025 AFCON title win
Some football fans have insisted that they still recognise Senegal as the champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), despite the decision to award the title to Morocco after an appeal.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board ruled that Senegal breached Article 84 of the regulations, which prohibits staging a walk-off. As a result, Senegal were deemed to have forfeited the game, and the final result was nullified.
Applying the regulation, Morocco were declared champions with a 3-0 scoreline against Senegal as punishment for the temporary walk-off.
CAF declares Morocco 2025 AFCON champions
The decision has sparked immense backlash on social media, with football pundits, officials, and fans describing it as “shameful” and damaging to the image of African football.
Critics argue that match officials should have applied the rules immediately when the incident occurred, rather than allowing the CAF Appeal Board to overturn the result afterward.
Others questioned the authority of the Appeal Board to change a result once a game has ended, blaming CAF officials for the controversy.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has also faced criticisms for the controversies that have emerged during his presidency, ranging from AFCON disputes to challenges in club football, with many saying his administration has underperformed so far.
The Real Champions 🇸🇳 💪🏿
They allowed the match to proceed, allowed the team to celebrate for months and now to come up with this decision???....This is a total joke man Shame to you all. A disgrace to the whole continent. Hide your faces
Trophies are won not given.🏆 pic.twitter.com/BqDFaAQcDl
AFCON is officially the biggest joke of a tournament in Football.
— MASTERBUCKS ⚫️⚪️ 🇦🇺 (@TheMasterBucks) March 17, 2026
This is insane.
CAF overturning the AFCON final months later and handing the trophy to Morocco on a technicality is a dangerous precedent for African football.
— ‘Tayo Babatunde (@TayoBab) March 17, 2026
Football matches should be decided on the pitch, not in boardrooms. Stripping Senegal of a title after the fact undermines the…
Brooo i can’t believe i spent years defending AFCON against foreigners that insulted it just for them to go and do something like this and put me to shame.
— IRUNNIA (@Irunnia_) March 17, 2026
It’s very obvious Morocco bribed you guys to win this. Smh no one’s ever going to take you guys seriously again.
The world saw it. CAF may have handed the honor to Morocco, but the dignity belongs to the team that actually won on the pitch — Senegal. Football is decided by what happens on the field, not by decisions made behind the table. History will remember who truly earned the victory. pic.twitter.com/yrS3XTTd4x
— Ekiti Man🦁 (@Dare_Ekitiman) March 17, 2026
Those in charge of CAF are embarrassing the continent. The game went ahead and Morocco missed the penalty. I think at this point, every other nation in Africa should leave the afcon for CAF and Morocco.
— Evans The Priest 🇳🇬 🇮🇹 (@EvansThePriest) March 18, 2026
y did the match commissioner allow the match to continue? if Senegal should lose on technicalities then it was supposed to be done on the day of the match not after 2 months. by allowing the match to continue, you are implying that u overlook the rules relating to forfeiture.
— . (@Samkelo_85) March 18, 2026
First he arbitrarily moves Afcon to an every four year competition and now this utter lunacy. I think it's fair to say that Patrice Motsepe, current President of CAF, should be shown a red card. Enough is enough. https://t.co/HZqhgooqeD
— Nels Abbey (@nelsabbey) March 17, 2026
Motsepe ruined CAF, players who are playing in in big leagues are no longer going to waste their time represent their countries in AFCON pic.twitter.com/fNeKABtjPD
— ❎e k ℹ️ (@XekiHlongwane) March 18, 2026
Also, watch as Black Stars legends light up the pitch and roll back the years at the Monday Stars game
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