The decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco has triggered widespread outrage and debate across the football world, with pundits, referees and fans questioning the legality and timing of the ruling.

CAF’s Appeal Board ruled on Tuesday that Senegal forfeited the AFCON final played on 18 January after determining that the team’s conduct during the match violated Articles 82 and 84 of the competition’s regulations.

As a result, the match was overturned and recorded as a 3–0 victory for Morocco.

The decision has sparked fierce reactions globally, with many describing it as damaging to the credibility of African football.

Chaos during the final

The final, played between Senegal and Morocco, was originally won 1–0 by Senegal, with midfielder Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal in extra time.

However, the match was overshadowed by chaos in stoppage time. With the score level at 0–0, Morocco was awarded a penalty, prompting protests from Senegalese players who briefly walked off the pitch.

Reports indicate that Senegal’s players and coaching staff were off the field for between 15 and 17 minutes before returning to complete the match. Moroccan midfielder Brahim Díaz took the penalty once play resumed, but it was saved, before Senegal went on to score the winner in extra time.

Despite the match being completed and the referee allowing play to continue until the final whistle, CAF’s Appeal Board later ruled that Senegal’s temporary walk-off constituted a refusal to play.

CAF cites breach of regulations

According to CAF, Senegal’s conduct violated Article 82 of the AFCON regulations, which states that if for any reason whatsoever a team withdraws from the competition, does not report for a match, refuses to play, or leaves the field before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered the loser and may be eliminated from the competition.

The Appeal Board ruled that the protest lodged by Morocco was valid and that Senegal’s actions fell within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the regulations. Consequently, the earlier decision by the CAF Disciplinary Board was overturned, and the final result was amended to a 3–0 win for Morocco.

CAF also imposed sanctions relating to incidents during the match, including misconduct by Moroccan player Ismaël Saibari and the behaviour of ball boys and staff around the VAR review area.

Debate over time allowed to resume play

The controversy has also centred on the amount of time teams are allowed to remain off the pitch before a match is considered abandoned.

Under the Laws of the Game set by the International Football Association Board and general match regulations applied by referees, there is no fixed number of minutes that automatically results in a match being abandoned. Instead, the decision rests with the referee, who determines whether the match can continue safely.

In practice, referees usually allow a waiting period of between 30 and 60 minutes for temporary suspensions, such as crowd trouble or protests, before declaring a match abandoned. In the AFCON final, Senegal’s players returned to the pitch after approximately 15 to 17 minutes, and the referee allowed the match to resume and reach its natural conclusion after extra time.

This has led critics to argue that the referee’s authority should stand because the match was completed.

Senegal condemns decision

The Senegal Football Federation strongly condemned the ruling, describing it as “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable”.

In a statement, the federation said the decision discredits African football and confirmed that it will challenge the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. Senegal argues that the match was completed under the referee’s authority and that the final result should therefore stand.

Namibian referees question ruling

In Namibia, football analysts and referees are divided over the controversial decision.

Local FIFA referee Vistoria Shangula said there is still little clarity on how CAF reached its conclusion. “The match could not be stopped as there was no fight. Only the statement from CAF can explain how they arrived at that decision,” she said. Another Namibian referee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the ruling as confusing. “The referee’s decision is final. Morocco is acting like a bully. We do not understand how the result could be overturned after the match was completed,” the referee said.

Pundits raise governance concerns

Namibian football pundit Marco Ndlovu said the decision raises serious questions about CAF’s neutrality. “The decision by the CAF Appeals Committee is baffling to say the least. It leaves us with more questions than answers, especially when it comes to the African body’s neutrality,” he said. Ndlovu noted that the ruling comes amid growing controversy surrounding CAF decisions, including the recent postponement of the Women’s AFCON and political comments about African football governance. “What really happened behind the scenes?” he questioned.

Another football fan, Adolf Kaure, said that it was probably difficult for the referee to stop the match because the players were protesting against his decisions. 

Fans react

The ruling has sparked a storm on social media, with many supporters insisting that Senegal remain the rightful champions.

Simba Rashe took to social media and argued that Senegal could challenge the ruling by stating that the match was completed and that the referee’s authority under football laws should stand. Under the Laws of the Game set by the International Football Association Board, the referee’s decision during a match is considered final. Critics, therefore, argue that overturning the outcome months later sets a troubling precedent.

Legal battle looms

With Senegal confirming plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the controversy surrounding the AFCON final is far from over.

Should CAS rule in Senegal’s favour, the decision could once again reshape the outcome of one of African football’s most dramatic and contentious finals. 

-lmupetami@nepc.com.na