Afcon Final Chaos - Key Questions Answered
ByKatharine Sharpe
BBC Sport senior journalist
18 March 2026
The already chaotic story of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final had another chapter included when the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the outcome.
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January, but that scoreline has actually been officially changed to a 3-0 triumph to Morocco as a result of numerous Senegalese gamers strolling off the pitch in demonstration during the match.
What do we understand - and what don't we know - about why the decision was made, what occurs next, and what it indicates?
What happened in the Afcon final?
With ball game 0-0 in the eighth minute of stoppage time in Rabat, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty for an obstacle by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Diaz.
Moments earlier, Ndala had actually eliminated a Senegal goal.
After the charge was given, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw motivated his team to leave the field in protest, with just Sadio Mane staying.
The match was stopped briefly for 17 minutes, throughout which Mane encouraged his team-mates to return.
When they did, Diaz's Panenka-style penalty was quickly saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy - and the match went to extra time, when Pape Gueye scored Senegal's winning objective.
During the match, there were clashes in between Moroccan ball kids and Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, as he repeatedly attempted to prevent them from taking Mendy's towel from beside the goal.
Videos showed Diouf being taken on to the ground by three of the ball young boys then dragged around on the floor as he tried to keep hold of the towel so Mendy might dry his gloves.
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Who decided to reverse the result - and what do the guidelines in fact state?
Caf's appeal board launched a statement on 17 March - nearly 2 months after the last - announcing Senegal would forfeit the match and Morocco would be stated 3-0 winners after an appeal from the Moroccan Football Federation.
The is made up of nine people - a president, vice-president and seven other members.
They are all from various African countries, with Morocco and Senegal not currently represented.
The appeal board declaration said Senegal has actually contravened posts 82 and 84 of the competition policies.
Article 82 states that if a team "leaves the ground before the routine end of the match without the authorisation of the referee", they are gotten rid of.
Article 83 states that a team "not present at the ground" on time for a match will also surrender.
Article 84 states a team contravening posts 82 and 83 will be removed from the competitors.
It is not clear from the wording whether posts 82 and 83 requirement to be broken for a group to be removed, and it appears Senegal have been punished for contravening just short article 82.
Will Senegal appeal - and how would that work?
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has said it will appeal versus the verdict - describing the choice as "a travesty".
Abdoulaye Seydou Sow - secretary general of the FSF - stated the organisation would lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Switzerland.
An independent panel of accredited arbitrators will then review the case.
Raymond Hack - the former head of Caf's disciplinary panel - told BBC World Service the procedure could take another 6 months to conclude, which would mean it would be continuous during the World Cup.
Will there be a new prize presentation - and what takes place to the medals?
There has not been an announcement on whether Morocco will have their own trophy ceremony.
There are also concerns about what will occur to the winner's medals that were handed to Senegal gamers in January, and the tournament prize money of $10 million.
Several members of the Senegal team have posted images of their medals on social networks given that the result was reversed.
"What do you do?" Hack said on BBC World Service. "Call all the players back and say: 'Please offer your medal back ... please provide your cash prize back ... I desire to give it to someone else.'
"Nobody's going to do that till the Court of Arbitration makes a last ruling."
What will occur with betting payouts?
Questions have also been inquired about what wagering business will do - and whether individuals who backed Morocco will have their bets honoured.
Paddy Power, SkyBet and Betfair and a number of other suppliers who have paid bets on Morocco, but it is not yet clear what will occur to those placed with other bookmakers.
Which other incidents were referenced in the judgment?
The statement from Caf also included these other choices emerging from the last:
An appeal by Morocco versus Ismael Saibari being condemned of misbehavior in infraction of articles 82 and 83 was upheld and his suspension reduced to two matches.
An appeal by Morocco against the great imposed on the ball kids was partially supported and the fine reduced.
An appeal by Morocco against being found guilty of interference around the OFR/VAR evaluation location was dismissed and the fine stays in location.
An appeal by Morocco versus an event with a laser pen was partially maintained, with the great reduced.
What has the reaction been?
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) at first provided a brief declaration when the news of the judgment broke, declaring "its technique has never been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams getting involved in this competition, however solely to ask for the application of the competition's guidelines".
An updated declaration on Wednesday said that the result would contribute "to the consistency and credibility of global competitions, particularly African football."
The Senegalese government, meanwhile, required an "independent worldwide examination" into "suspected corruption" at African football's governing body.
BBC Sport has called Caf for comment.
The FSF had earlier knocked the "unjust, unmatched, and undesirable choice, which casts a shadow over African football".
It said the attract Cas was necessary to "protect its rights and the interests of Senegalese football".
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Senegal