Nine months down the line, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final between Morocco and Senegal, which started on January 18, is playing on, making it one of the longest matches in the history of football.
To this day, it remains unclear who the current African champions from that match are.
To bona fide football followers, Senegal are the true champions after they nailed Morocco 1-0 in front of their own supporters in that heated final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
But Morocco appealed and were awarded the championship on a silver platter. Thereafter, Senegal referred the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), the highest sports appeal court in the world. The case is now like a sequel to the initial final. Most of the time, sequels are just horrible.
While the match was enterprising, there were lots of sideshows and chaos — a bad advertisement for African football. Senegal’s Ismaïla Sarr’s dramatic goal was disallowed after referee Jean-Jacques Ndala blew his whistle and gave Moroccan a free-kick.
The was more controversy in the 98th minute when, after a VAR review, Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty. Tempers boiled over between the technical teams and players, spreading to the grandstands between Senegal fans and security officers.
Senegal players returned to the pitch and Morocco missed a golden chance to win the tournament when Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz failed to convert a penalty, with his cheeky chip falling into the grateful arms of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Pape Gueye’s extra-time strike then secured a 1-0 win for Senegal, who lifted the trophy for a second time.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation quickly lodged a complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), arguing that Senegal had breached competition regulations. Article 82, contained in a chapter titled “Withdrawals”, states: “If, for any reason whatsoever, a team … leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee … [they shall be] considered the loser and shall be eliminated from the current competition.”
In March, a CAF appeals board agreed, ruling that Senegal had forfeited the match and awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory.
I can never accuse the CAF of being corrupt or incompetent but after the shocking pronouncement that Morocco had won the appeal, which was met by a huge outcry, the continental mother body knows it did not cover itself in glory.
If the CAS upholds the CAF appeals board and rules in favour of Morocco, it will be like a spit in the face of fair-play. CAF president Patrice Motsepe’s hard work in revitalising the confederation would have gone down the drain.
Motsepe handcuffed himself when he tried to please everyone by introducing “independent” judicial bodies at the CAF. He could have rejected the verdict delivered by that independent appeal board. His executive committee could have sent them back to the boardroom to find a more sensible and football-aligned compromise. Now he has to watch and wait.
The CAS is interpreting the same laws that the CAF itself drafted and chalked in its constitution.
It must be praying that the CAS comes with a football-affiliated decision rather than a bitter boardroom decree — and give the trophy back to the team that won fair and square.
- The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal has been unresolved for nine months due to controversy and appeals.
- Senegal won the match 1-0 with Pape Gueye's extra-time goal, but Morocco appealed and was later awarded the championship after Senegal's players left the pitch early.
- CAF's appeals board ruled that Senegal forfeited the match by leaving the ground before the match ended without referee authorization, resulting in a 3-0 victory for Morocco.
- Senegal took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), which is currently reviewing the appeal and expected to make a ruling.
- CAF president Patrice Motsepe introduced independent judicial bodies for appeals but now must await CAS's decision, hoping for a football-aligned resolution.
