Why has Senegal’s Afcon title been taken away from them... and what comes next?

FootballSports
18 Mar 2026 • 7:16 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Senegal have been stripped of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) following their controversial walk-off in the final against Morocco.
  • Morocco, the tournament hosts, have been declared the winners, with the final result officially recorded as a 3-0 victory in their favour.
  • The decision, made two months after the 18 January final, came after an appeal by the Moroccan FA was deemed admissible by Caf.
  • Senegal's actions were found to be in contravention of Article 82 of the competition's regulations, which states that a team refusing to play or leaving the ground without authorisation is considered the loser.
  • The Senegalese Football Federation has condemned the ruling as “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable” and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

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