The Senegalese Football Federation has condemned the decision to strip the country of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, describing the ruling by the Confederation of African Football as “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable,” and confirming plans to appeal.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday and obtained by ENigeria Newspaper, the federation said the” Senegalese Football Federation denounces an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision that discredits African football.”
It added that it would challenge the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“To defend its rights and the interests of Senegalese football, the Federation will initiate, as soon as possible, an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
The controversy follows CAF’s decision to award the AFCON 2025 title to Morocco after overturning Senegal’s victory in the final played in Rabat. CAF ruled that Senegal forfeited the match, recording it as a 3–0 win in favour of the Moroccan federation.
According to CAF, “the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the final match of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football.”
The decision came after Morocco lodged a protest over chaotic scenes during the final, when Senegal players briefly walked off the pitch following a controversial penalty decision and a disallowed goal late in the match.
In explaining the ruling, the Senegalese federation noted that the CAF Appeals Committee based its judgment on competition rules, stating: “The Appeals Committee also determined that the conduct of the Senegalese team fell under Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations.
“Consequently, CAF declared that the FSF had violated Article 82 and awarded the match by forfeit, with a recorded score of 3–0 in favor of the FRMF, in accordance with Article 84.”
The federation also revealed that the appeal panel overturned an earlier decision by CAF’s disciplinary body due to procedural concerns.
“With this decision, the CAF Appeals Board declared the appeal of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation admissible and accepted it.
“In doing so, the board overturned the decision rendered by the CAF Disciplinary Board, on the grounds that the appellant’s right to be heard had not been respected during the initial proceedings.”
Reacting to the development, Senegal insisted it remains committed to due process and sporting justice.
“The FSF reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values of integrity and sporting justice, and will keep the public informed of the follow-up to this matter.”
The disputed final, played on January 19 in Rabat, had initially ended in a 1–0 victory for Senegal before the dramatic post-match reversal reignited debate over officiating decisions and disciplinary enforcement in African football.
