Afcon Final Chaos - Key Questions Answered

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ByKatharine Sharpe
BBC Sport senior journalist


18 March 2026


The already chaotic story of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final had another chapter added when the Confederation of African Football (Caf) reversed the outcome.


Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January, however that scoreline has actually been formally changed to a 3-0 success to Morocco as an outcome of several Senegalese players strolling off the pitch in protest during the match.


What do we understand - and what don't we understand - about why the choice was made, what happens next, and what it suggests?


What took place in the Afcon final?


With ball game 0-0 in the 8th minute of stoppage time in Rabat, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala granted Morocco a penalty for a challenge by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Diaz.


Moments earlier, Ndala had dismissed a Senegal objective.


After the penalty was offered, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw encouraged his group to leave the field in demonstration, with just Sadio Mane remaining.


The match was paused for 17 minutes, throughout which Mane encouraged his team-mates to return.


When they did, Diaz's Panenka-style charge was easily saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy - and the match went to extra time, when Pape Gueye scored Senegal's winning goal.


During the match, there were clashes between Moroccan ball boys and Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf, as he consistently tried to prevent them from stealing Mendy's towel from beside the objective.


Videos showed Diouf being tackled to the ground by 3 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 outcome - and what do the rules really state?


Caf's appeal board released a statement on 17 March - nearly 2 months after the last - announcing Senegal would surrender the match and Morocco would be declared 3-0 winners after an appeal from the Moroccan Football Federation.


The appeal board is comprised of 9 individuals - a president, vice-president and seven other members.


They are all from various African nations, with Morocco and Senegal not presently represented.


The appeal board statement said Senegal has contravened posts 82 and 84 of the competition guidelines.


Article 82 states that if a team "leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee", they are eliminated.


Article 83 states that a team "not present at the ground" on time for a match will likewise surrender.


Article 84 states a team contravening posts 82 and 83 will be gotten rid of from the competition.


It is not clear from the phrasing whether articles 82 and 83 need to be broken for a group to be removed, and it appears Senegal have been penalised for contravening just article 82.


Will Senegal appeal - and how would that work?


The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has stated it will appeal versus the decision - 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 recognized arbitrators will then review the case.


Raymond Hack - the previous head of Caf's disciplinary panel - told BBC World Service the process could take another 6 months to conclude, which would mean it would be continuous throughout the World Cup.


Will there be a brand-new trophy discussion - and what occurs to the medals?


There has not been an announcement on whether Morocco will have their own prize ceremony.


There are likewise questions about what will occur to the winner's medals that were handed to Senegal gamers in January, and the tournament cash prize of $10 million.


Several members of the Senegal group have posted images of their medals on social media because the result was reversed.


"What do you do?" Hack stated on BBC World Service. "Call all the players back and state: 'Please give your medal back ... please provide your cash prize back ... I want to give it to somebody else.'


"Nobody's going to do that up until the Court of Arbitration makes a final ruling."


What will occur with betting payouts?


Questions have actually also been asked about what wagering companies will do - and whether people who backed Morocco will have their bets honoured.


Paddy Power, SkyBet and Betfair and a variety of other suppliers who have paid bets on Morocco, however it is not yet clear what will happen to those positioned with other bookmakers.


Which other incidents were referenced in the judgment?


The declaration from Caf likewise consisted of these other choices developing from the final:


An appeal by Morocco versus Ismael Saibari being condemned of misbehavior in violation of articles 82 and 83 was maintained and his suspension lowered to 2 matches.


An appeal by Morocco versus the great troubled the ball young boys was partly upheld and the great decreased.


An appeal by Morocco against being found guilty of disturbance around the OFR/VAR review location was dismissed and the fine remains in place.


An appeal by Morocco versus an incident with a laser pen was partially upheld, with the fine decreased.


What has the reaction been?


The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) initially supplied a brief declaration when the news of the judgment broke, declaring "its approach has never ever been intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams taking part in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competitors's guidelines".


An upgraded declaration on Wednesday stated that the outcome would contribute "to the consistency and reliability of competitors, particularly African football."


The Senegalese federal government, meanwhile, required an "independent international investigation" into "believed corruption" at African football's governing body.


BBC Sport has actually gotten in touch with Caf for comment.


The FSF had earlier knocked the "unjust, extraordinary, and undesirable decision, which casts a shadow over African football".


It stated the interest Cas was important to "protect its rights and the interests of Senegalese football".


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Morocco


Senegal