Morocco have been declared champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after CAF's Appeal Board overturned Senegal's extra-time victory in the final, ruling in March 2026 that the Teranga Lions forfeited the match by briefly leaving the pitch in protest during the closing stages of regulation time. The decision brings a bitter postscript to a tournament that had otherwise set attendance and goalscoring records across its month-long run on Moroccan soil.
The final itself, played on January 18, 2026, had all the hallmarks of a classic before the controversy took hold. Senegal thought they had done enough in extra time after Morocco striker Brahim Diaz missed a penalty saved brilliantly by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, following a disallowed Senegal goal and a contentious spot-kick award that prompted coach Pape Thiaw to lead his players off the field for more than 15 minutes. Fans following the tournament through outlets such as brbrbet.com watched a dramatic night unravel in real time, only for the result to be reversed on appeal two months later, handing Morocco the trophy on home turf instead. brbrbet.com
A Tournament Built on Records
Beyond the final's chaos, the 2025 edition delivered genuine footballing substance. More than 1.1 million spectators had passed through Moroccan stadiums by the quarterfinal stage alone, the highest attendance figure in the competition's history. Goals flowed freely too, with the tournament's tally of 120 breaking the previous record of 119 set in Cote d'Ivoire in 2023. Brahim Diaz became the first player ever to score in each of a tournament's first five matches, while Mohamed Salah extended his legacy by scoring against an 11th different AFCON opponent during Egypt's quarterfinal win over defending champions Cote d'Ivoire.
Milestones Across the Board
Individual landmarks piled up throughout the knockout rounds. Morocco's Yassine Bounou matched Boubacar Copa's mark of 11 career clean sheets, still some way behind Egyptian great Essam El Hadary's record of 14. Algeria's Riyad Mahrez, at 34 years and 306 days, became the oldest player to score a brace at an AFCON finals, surpassing a record held since 1998. Senegal's Sadio Mané also moved past Kolo Toure for most career starts in the competition, reaching his 29th appearance in the final itself - a personal triumph overshadowed by the dispute that followed.
Context Behind the Appeal
CAF's ruling leaned on long-standing regulations treating a team's departure from the field of play as forfeiture, regardless of the circumstances that provoked it. The episode reopens familiar questions about officiating standards and dispute resolution at Africa's flagship tournament, themes that have surfaced before in the competition's politically charged history. For Senegal, it means a second final defeat to Morocco to go with painful memories of previous AFCON disappointments. For Morocco, hosting rights have now delivered a second title on home soil, cementing their status among the continent's in-form sides as the competition moves toward a four-year cycle from 2028 and a return to a mid-year calendar slot for 2027 in East Africa.
