Afcon final chaos - key questions answered
The already chaotic story of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final had another chapter added when the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the result. Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January, but that scoreline has been officially changed to a 3-0 victory to Morocco as a result of several Senegalese players walking off the pitch in protest during the match. What do we know - and what don't we know - about why the decision was made, what happens next, and what it means?
Morocco's Brahim Diaz (left) looked distraught as he accepted the tournament's Golden Boot award after missing his penalty With the score 0-0 in the eighth minute of stoppage time in Rabat, referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty for a challenge by El Hadji Malick Diouf on Brahim Diaz. Moments earlier, Ndala had ruled out a Senegal goal. After the penalty was given, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw encouraged his team to leave the field in protest, with only Sadio Mane remaining.
The match was paused for 17 minutes, during which Mane encouraged his team-mates to return. When they did, Diaz's Panenka-style penalty 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 repeatedly attempted to prevent them from stealing Mendy's towel from next to the goal.
Videos showed Diouf being tackled to the ground by three of the ball boys then dragged around on the floor as he tried to keep hold of the towel so Mendy could dry his gloves. Listen: What next for Afcon after Senegal stripped of title? Caf's appeal board released a statement on 17 March - almost two months after the final - announcing Senegal would forfeit the match and Morocco would be declared 3-0 winners after an appeal from the Moroccan Football Federation.
The appeal board is made up of nine people - a president, vice-president and seven other members. They are all from different African nations, with Morocco and Senegal not currently represented. The appeal board statement said Senegal has contravened articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations.