New Headline: "VAR Delay Scandal Raises Questions for African Football's Next Dominators

Senegal captain Sadio Mane was praised for ensuring the final resumed after his team-mates left the field [Getty Images] African football - and the reputation of its Cup of Nations - was on a high after the 2023 tournament. The event provided high-quality football, excellent atmospheres and an amazing comeback story, with hosts Ivory Coast winning the trophy despite losing their two opening matches. Everything seemed set for the 2025 competition in Morocco to build on that success, with modern, state-of-the-art stadiums, passionate home fans and record-breaking numbers of travelling supporters.

It did deliver more goals and a bigger worldwide audience than ever before, but all it will now be remembered for is a chaotic final that ended with Senegal beating Morocco and - two months later - a decision to overturn its outcome. One fan called it the longest VAR check in history. Here, with the help of BBC journalists and pundits we look at what has happened and what comes next.

Conspiracy theories, chaos and controversy Working at the tournament, I remember a feeling there was an extra edge in the build-up to the final in Rabat, compared to previous editions. What stood out were the allegations - on social media - that hosts Morocco were getting the rub of the green when it came to refereeing decisions. It was becoming a big part of the managers' pre-match news conferences.

The conspiracy theories seemed to be linked to a perceived close relationship between Morocco's football federation and the Confederation of African Football (Caf). Morocco have become a powerhouse in African football - regularly hosting tournaments like the Women's Afcon, and helping Caf by hosting many qualifying matches for nations who can't play at home. There was chaos when Senegal arrived in Rabat for the final, and pictures of the players walking through huge crowds - with seemingly minimal security - went viral.